A Reimagined Jewell

Financial exigency is an important tool that enables reallocation of resources, restructuring of academic programs and scholarships and significant reductions in force. As defined by the American Association of University Professors, exigency is a condition of financial distress caused by a substantial decline in income. The declaration of exigency is an intentional step toward creating financial stability and securing the path forward for the College. Through a comprehensive process, institutions can emerge stronger and more resilient. We will transition out of the financial exigency period in less than one year after efficiencies are being achieved according to plan.

Like many small liberal arts colleges across the country with modest enrollments and endowments, Jewell is facing significant financial challenges brought about by increasing costs. There have been many strategic innovations in the last several years including a tuition re-pricing, diversified enrollment growth, and the In Pursuit campaign. Despite these efforts which led to increased enrollment, the cost of operations has increasingly exceeded the pace of revenue. William Jewell College delivers an extraordinary product at incredible value as demonstrated by our graduates. However, the cost of program delivery is not sustainable. It is essential that we confront that inefficiency and build a solid foundation for future growth. Financial exigency is an important tool that enables reallocation of resources, restructuring of academic programs and athletic scholarships and significant reductions in force.

Yes. The College's leadership—including the interim president, cabinet, faculty leadership and the Board of Trustees—previously implemented a variety of strategic cost-cutting measures to achieve efficiencies. These included asset sales, savings through improved procurement and sourcing, operational cost cuts, deferral of maintenance on non-essential properties and equipment, and most recently, a reduction in administrative staff. Despite these efforts, stronger measures and urgent changes are required to place Jewell on solid financial footing for the future. Additional immediate cost-saving measures must be implemented to balance our budget and ensure Jewell’s future success.

Our priority while we do this work is for as little disruption to the student experience as possible and we are committed to supporting them during this time. We will be able to update our community in much more detail early in 2025.

Further details will be shared in the coming weeks as the College’s leadership, faculty and staff act to deliver programs more cost effectively. This includes all our majors and athletic programs. All majors and course schedules will continue as planned for the spring 2025 semester. All athletic programs will continue as planned for spring as well while we complete the work developing a more viable athletic aid strategy, and a sustainable and strategic fundraising plan.

We are determined to sustain our mission as a critical-thinking, career-focused college. Declaring exigency reflects our commitment to improving Jewell for the future and is the first step in the process toward ensuring long-term stability. As we transform our business model, we are committed to communicating openly along the way and we welcome feedback and ideas from students and their families. Student enrollment trends have signaled for some time that the portfolio of Jewell’s academic programs needs to change. Many of these changes will be welcomed, but some will impact programs, services and traditions that, while valuable, do not have sufficient aggregate demand to continue in their current state. While this endeavor is focused on achieving financial and operating efficacy, our ultimate goal is to ensure relevance and maintain excellence for years to come. We welcome your feedback, questions and ideas directly to president@william.jewell.edu.

Further details will be shared in the coming weeks as the College’s leadership, faculty and staff act to deliver programs more cost effectively and responsive to marketplace demand, while maintaining our reputation for the quality education and highly developed critical thinking skills demonstrated by our graduates. We are committed to ensuring the Jewell community has the information it needs. As we take this journey together, we invite you to share your reactions, questions and ideas directly to president@william.jewell.edu.

The Board of Trustees has paused the presidential search to determine the most appropriate leadership needs during this period of transition. We will resume this search soon, after a re-evaluation of our leadership needs, with specific emphasis on financial health. Our interim president, Susan Chambers, remains committed to serving the College until longer-term leadership is identified. 

We just welcomed our largest class since 2014, and we began this year with over 950 total learners which represents nearly a 30% increase from 2019. We’ve transformed our student population over the last five years and it now reflects the diversity of the Kansas City metro area in which we reside. There is demand for Jewell from employers for our graduates and from families who desire a well-ranked, quality academic experience. Every day work is being done on The Hill to shape students into the critical thought leaders our workforce and world needs. Continued unrestricted financial support from our alumni and donor community is more important now than ever. You can support a Jewell student's journey today here.

We are seeking increased unrestricted donor support for operations to see us through this transformative moment. Tuition and fees revenue for fiscal year 2025 are fixed. We have already lowered operational costs and expect to continue to do so in this current year, but an operational deficit remains. In the short term, our focus has shifted away from capital projects. This means delays in completing phase two of the Link project unless giving exceeds forecasted needs for operations support through fiscal year 2026. Jewell has been and remains committed to the completion of capital projects being 100% donor funded. While commitments to The Link project amounted to nearly 87% of the total project cost, of the $26 million currently raised, only $15 million was in cash donations. The remainder is committed in the form of estate plans and pledges, not cash, and is insufficient to begin phase two. $10 million was used to complete phase one which redesigned the campus entrance, replaced the 75-year-old stadium seating and provided the site infrastructure for the building.