The impending closure of one of the College of Mount Saint Vincent’s sponsored programs, the
Institute for Immigrant Concerns in Manhattan, is an example of the impact of that thinking. The Institute for Immigrant Concerns is an important organization, which fulfills a real and important need, says
College of Mount Saint Vincent President Charles L. Flynn, Jr.
“Its work has a significant impact on the lives of the clients that it serves—providing immigrants, asylees, and refugees with English language instruction, job placement, and other skills—to the betterment of
those individuals, their families, and the New York metropolitan area,” he says.
Although the mission of the Institute for Immigrant Concerns fits very well with the College’s mission
as an educational institution committed to social justice, Dr. Flynn notes that in another sense the
Institute’s work with immigrants is not fundamental to the College’s mission as a liberal arts college.
Slashing funding comes at a price, he says, costs like this unavoidable but regrettable decision.
“When the College agreed to have the Institute become one of its programs seven years ago, it was with
the explicit necessity that the Institute fund all of its direct costs,” he says. “That has not been possible
for the Institute in recent years, and the College has had to subsidize its programs. The subsidies have increased to unsustainable levels.”
The College has worked with the Institute for years to help them address the problem of cutbacks to their funding, primarily government grants and contracts. Despite efforts to rein in operating deficits and secure additional resources, the cuts to funding have been severe, and the Institute cannot cover
its costs.”
“The College deeply regrets that it has arrived at this difficult juncture but has no choice given the
continued and escalating operating deficits the Institute faces,” says Dr. Flynn. “The College
cannot—and should not—use undergraduate tuition to subsidize the work of the Institute. It is a painful conclusion for those whom the Institute serves and for those who have made the Institute their life’s
work. And it is an unfortunate and unavoidable decision the College must make, with immense regret.”
About the College of Mount Saint Vincent
The College of Mount Saint Vincent is an academically excellent, authentically inclusive, Catholic and ecumenical liberal arts college. It combines a strong core curriculum with a full array of majors in the
liberal arts and selected professional fields of study, including accounting, business administration, education, and nursing. Through its School of Professional and Continuing Studies, the College extends
its primary undergraduate mission by offering high quality graduate studies in business, education and nursing and an array of undergraduate and certificate programs serving non-traditional students. Mount Saint Vincent is located on a pastoral campus in New York City, with easy access to all the
educational, cultural, and recreational opportunities that the City affords.
Media Contact:
Erin Walsh
Director for College Relations
(718) 405-3345
erin.walsh@mountsaintvincent.edu
