TOLEDO, Ohio — As the University of Toledo works to finalize its budget, some are still concerned with the decision to cut the Center for Success Coaching program.
University officials say that 12 full-time employees are impacted by the move, but some think it will have a ripple effect.
They say it's not just the dozen employees, it could have lasting impacts on the students who use the services.
Bradley Higgs, a recent graduate, says the coaches at the success center are part of the reason he has his bachelor's and master's degrees.
Without the help of UToledo's success coaches, Higgs says he wouldn't be where he is today.
"I was on the verge of not finishing school, just from my own thoughts," Higgs said.
When he needed help, he said the coaches stepped in.
He credits them with playing a role in getting two degrees from the university.
He and others are worried students might be the ones suffering from these cuts.
"I was just thinking like 'Wow, that's too bad,'" Higgs said. "Based on what the success center was providing for students and to just see it go away like that."
It's a decision Don Wedding believes was made too quickly.
He's a professor and the vice president of UToledo's faculty union.
"They are making cost-cutting decisions without doing a critical analysis of what impact this will have on students," Wedding said. "Not just with its success coaches but with many other aspects of what's going on at this university."
Wedding says he's only ever heard positive things about the program and Higgs says every time he went, it was beneficial.
"College is a scary thing when you're thinking about transitioning from high school to college," Higgs said. "They help you to understand that it's not as scary as you may think. They assist you not just at the time, but also along the way."
The cuts come as the University is finalizing a new budget and something the university faces are declining enrollment rates.
The numbers have been steadily dropping in recent years.
In 2017 there were 16,194 undergrad and 4,385 graduate students.
For the 2022-2023 school year, there are 11,977 undergrads and 3,626 graduate students.
Wedding is concerned the cuts could have a negative impact on students.
"All of us are very concerned about student enrollment and retention," he said. "A survey should have been taken to see what students and faculty think about the success coaches."
We have reached out to UToledo asking if declining enrollment is the reason for cutting the program. A spokesperson told us that it is a factor, but also said that they are working to help the impacted coaches or employees find other jobs within the university.