Recently, Pace has faced budget cuts in various departments and organizations. There has been a lack of classes coinciding with said changes and cuts. It’s no coincidence – downsizing is occurring behind-the-scenes. Students and faculty were contacted for their thoughts and information on what’s going on.
One student, Peter Hansen (Class of 2026) who is getting his Master of Science (MS) in Tax, gave insights on how Pace has been struggling, and what could have caused it.
When were you made aware of budget cuts going into effect and/or taking place?
I’ve heard of Pace’s academic departments not having as much money compared to most of the student organizations. Due to the current administration and rising inflation, they’re cutting costs. Full-time members and full-time faculty’s salaries are covered. For example, the Counseling Center is still paying their staff, but they’re not going to be hosting a lot of events as they’ll need budgets to pay for food and swag items. A lot of places on campus are even hiring exclusively students part of a work-study program because it’s less likely their work-study budget won’t be cut.
What effect is the Covid pandemic having? Is it affecting Pace’s budget plans, and vice versa?
The underlying issue a lot of people have is how little engagement there is, primarily due to Covid. Some of the faculty from certain schools do not want to come back. Because of this, classes are moving online, and with online classes comes people not attending anything in-person. It’s hard for Pace to justify spending money on programs and events when no one is here to take advantage of them.
What about those doing work-study programs?
With the administration forcing Pace to re-look at their programs and departments to restructure, it excludes students who want to work, but do not receive federal work study. In doing so, it has the unintended side effect of preventing them from getting exposure to being student leaders while also supporting their income.
Another student, a History major who has chosen to remain anonymous, commented on how Pace communicated the changes to him and his department:
How did you find out about the changes? What was said to you?
“An email from the university in December informed me that Pace would phase out some academic programs to ‘invest more deeply in the programs where Pace can stand out and where you will see the ‘greatest benefit.’ I was dismayed to receive a follow-up email the next day informing me that my program was affected and learned that the university would gradually phase out the history program on the Pleasantville campus over a few years as a result of these changes. While administrators gave me the assurance that I would be able to graduate on time, I feel sorry for those underclassmen in the history department and other affected programs who had no forewarning when applying to Pace.”
How would you describe the changes? Do you find other students have the same opinions as you?
“The planned execution of these changes to programs, including mine, has been vague, at best. The university has left specific questions about these changes unanswered as of right now, such as how the shift of certain programs exclusively to the city campus will affect student-athletes in those programs. How will they attend classes in the city while still attending to their athletic commitments, which are exclusively in Pleasantville? How can the university do this without restricting students’ freedom and choices regarding their major while also participating in athletics? This lack of clarity has led to confusion and concern not only among affected students, but also among the affected faculty. These cuts, manifested through this “Academic Master Plan,” are deemed necessary by university leadership, and have the potential to drastically affect students across multiple programs and the futures of both campuses. I hope Pace can clarify these changes and their near-term implications to affected students and faculty. Because right now, I don’t see how this plan translates into giving us, the students, the ‘greatest benefit’ to our experience here at Pace.”
Vincent Barella, Chair of the Legal Studies & Taxation Department, discussed changes in the program.
“With the recent retirement of one professor on the Pleasantville campus, it’s a loss. But when you deal with one less faculty member, you have to adjust, budget cuts or no budget cuts. When another faculty member leaves, even more changes are required. I am teaching a class in Fall 2026 synchronously, and Schedule Explorer will allow students on both campuses to register. Students need to understand that classes, including this one, are still offered, but not in the modality they may want. Professors can’t be in more than two places at once physically. We’re being asked to do more, but with less resources. 15-20 years ago, we had around twice the number of students. But now that we have less students for a whole variety of reasons, there’s less reason for as many classes to be offered.”
Phillip Cohen, Professor Emeritus at the Lubin School of Business, is a retired full-time yet now adjunct professor, and shared his thoughts on the cuts to the Tax department. “I was disappointed to learn the MS in Tax program was terminated. The chair of the department, Professor Vincent Barrella, kept us informed during the process. As I understand it, those currently pursuing an MS in Tax will be able to finish their degree. While I was formally very active in faculty matters as a co-chair of the Handbook committee, given my new role I no longer participate in faculty meetings and I’m not aware of new developments vis-a-vis the budget cuts including efforts to support students through the process.”
On behalf of Pace, a spokesperson commented on the continued struggles and how struggles of recent times shape their mindset. “Universities nationwide are navigating a rapidly changing higher education landscape marked by demographic shifts, declining international enrollment, rising costs, and increased competition. While Pace University faces some of these challenges, we remain strongly positioned for the future. We continue to prioritize academic excellence, innovation, and the student experience as the cornerstones of our mission. As we look ahead, we are energized by the opportunities before us and confident in Pace University’s ability to thrive, evolve, and lead in this new era of higher education.”