Eastern Michigan University is ending its operations in Flint after the winter semester due to consistent low enrollment.
Only nine students were enrolled in Instructional Leadership, the single class EMU offered in Flint this semester.
According to Walter Kraft, EMU’s vice president for communications, EMU-Flint cost EMU roughly $160,000 in fiscal year 2012.
According to Kraft, EMU has had cycles of high and low enrollment at EMU-Flint since its start.
“We’ve had operations there since the 1950s. We’ve had presence there,” he said. “It’s been bigger in the past, sort of an ebb and flow.”
However, Kraft said enrollment has been consistently low over the past few years, leading EMU to end its operations in Flint.
“It just didn’t make sense any more,” he said.
There are currently two staff members at the space EMU leases from Mott Community College in Flint.
“We will work with them over the next several months until the end of the semester to determine next steps,” he said.
“There are different union contracts involved for the individuals, which determines different processes to follow.”
EMU-Flint was scheduled to offer two classes in the spring/summer semester, but those classes will be cancelled.
In a statement written by EMU’s executive director of media relations, Geoff Larcom, it was said EMU will plan to ensure Flint students’ ability to graduate, despite the closing of EMU-Flint.
“The EMU Department of Leadership and Counseling, with support from the College of Education and from Extended Programs and Educational Outreach, will begin planning to ensure the students enrolled will be accommodated so they can complete their graduate degrees,” the statement said.
“We encourage Flint-area residents to continue to take advantage of online classes at EMU,” Kraft said.
