Among the topics covered in the Oct. 25 meeting of Fordham College at Lincoln Center’s (FCLC) College Council were money and majors. Students at FCLC engaged in discussion with Rev. Robert R. Grimes, S.J., about the fiscal and demographic changes that occurred during the 2012-2013 academic year thus far.

Grimes addressed these changes during the College Council meeting. “It is very clear that something has changed, not just for Fordham but also nationally,” Grimes said. “I’m told that the law school had one-third fewer applications than last year. We earned $1,275,000 less in revenue than expected. I think we will survive.  We’re not doing that badly this year. My concern is what’s going to happen next year.”

Although Grimes took the time to contemplate FCLC’s future during College Council, he also focused on the current financial conflicts that students are encountering.

Associate Chair of sociology Jeanne Flavin introduced the topic of financial aid during the meeting. “Students are really struggling financially and I don’t exactly know how to advise and help them,” Flavin said.

Grimes’s response included the necessary actions that students need to take in order to solve their problems, without factoring in the university’s role in financial aid difficulties. “The best thing to do is advise [students] to go to financial services. It’s not at all uncommon that they haven’t done what they should do,” Grimes said.

Developing new majors and expanding on existing majors within FCLC was a topic linked to the issue of tuition. Grimes spoke about expanding the “liberal arts option” while focusing on the fashion design major. “We wouldn’t be competing with schools like the Fashion Institute of Technology  (FIT), but offering an alternative. My understanding is that FIT is great in terms of fashion design, but terrible in terms of liberal arts,” Grimes said.

The Task Force on the Future of FCLC, which is a committee that met during the 2012 summer discussed the development of new programs, including reconfiguring existing majors. Preliminary ideas brought to light include introducing a concentration in musical theatre, having the Graduate School of Social Service to work with the social work major and restructuring the music major that was introduced last year.

The facts were presented at the College Council meeting that FCLC has experienced financial loss in revenue and also a decrease in applications. There was also a 6 percent decrease in attendance for the high school senior open house this fall. Faculty and students engaged with Grimes about not only the future of FCLC, but also the financial future of current students in terms of debt and the anticipated job search. Will reconfiguring existing majors alleviate the worry about finding a job?

Assistant Professor of economics Shapoor Vali responded to Grimes’s restructuring of majors and the liberal arts role in FCLC. “If tuition and cost is the issue for students here, how does offering new and more developed majors help, especially since these majors aren’t even that promising for future jobs,” Vali said.

The main concern was laid out at the College Council meeting: students who are financially restricted want to feel secure about their major producing a job upon graduation. Besides the preliminary ideas offered by Grimes during College Council, he also said that Fordham cannot provide financial assistance to all students.  “There are also students that just simply shouldn’t be here. We can’t afford to take on the debt. It’s sad but there’s nothing we can do about it,” Grimes said.

The next College Council meeting will take place on Nov. 29 at 11:30 a.m. in the South Lounge.