Dr. Kwang-Wu Kim, president and CEO of Columbia College Chicago, announced his resignation set for July after serving the institution since 2013, this came following a period marked by financial woes and labor unrest, according to Fox32 Chicago. The college, during Kim's tenure, built a $50 million student center and made notable advancements in student support services – yet faced a faculty strike and declining enrollment.
The president's departure follows a contentious six-week strike by adjunct faculty late last year, which disrupted the fall semester as faculty disputed class cuts and called for administrative cost reductions, and in the midst of this, enrollment dropped from 11,400 in 2010 to 6,400 in 2022 while the college dealt with a financial deficit forcing a proposed cut of over 300 classes reported by the Chicago Sun-Times. Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Jerry Tarrer is slated to become the interim president upon Kim's exit, though the search for a permanent replacement has not yet been publicized.
In a statement obtained by Fox32 Chicago, Board Chair John Holmes said, "President Kim has been a steady and exemplary leader of Columbia for more than a decade, The Board of Trustees is incredibly grateful for his service to our institution." Meanwhile, Kim earned over $1.1 million in 2022, a fact that fueled adjunct faculty's demands during their strike, as they urged the administration to find other cost-saving measures.
Kim played a pivotal role in steering Columbia College Chicago’s curriculum shift towards liberal arts, emphasizing critical thinking over the school's traditionally skill-based approach, this vision occasionally met with resistance from students and staff who prized the institution's reputation as a nurturing ground for aspiring creatives, as outlined in an email to students wherein Kim expressed his driving belief that "the world needs creatives and my determination that Columbia could be the leading educational institution dedicated to preparing creatives for real-world success," the Chicago Sun-Times revealed. The Board of Trustees has tasked college leaders with developing a plan by the end of the month to better align program offerings with creative fields.
Having prioritized fundraising for student scholarships, Kim is leaving behind a legacy of his effort to reduce the financial burden on students, even as the college continues to navigate its monetary challenges. As Columbia College Chicago prepares to turn the page, the focus remains on realigning its academic programs and maintaining the institution's dedication to creative careers in a changing educational landscape.
