Calvin announced the discontinuation of its public health and recreational therapy programs as part of a series of budget cuts aimed at stabilizing the institution’s finances that occurred in May according to a letter by Provost Toly.
Administrators say the decision followed a task force review of academic offerings and their financial viability, with recommendations presented to the board of trustees in April. In a May 2025 letter to students, Provost Noah Toly, Dean Adejoke Ayoola, and public health Chair Julie Yonker acknowledged the disappointment the decision would cause but emphasized that “students in discontinued programs will have access to a teach-out program that reasonably accommodates completion of their degree.”
The public health department, despite being founded in the fall of 2024, will not admit new students following the cuts. Freshman Madeline Trumbull, who is double-majoring in public health and history, said she learned of the cut only after committing to Calvin. “They emailed me in April, after I’d already committed, saying the program was being cut.” Despite this, she remains the only freshman in the program and is taking accelerated coursework to finish before classes are phased out…