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Columbia College Chicago president and CEO Kwang-Wu Kim is stepping down after recent tensions with faculty members and with cuts likely on the horizon, the Chicago Tribune reported.
Kim, who has served as president since 2013, will reportedly stay on until July 1. His exit comes less than two months after the conclusion of a seven-week strike by contingent faculty members—a work stoppage that cost the college an estimated $13 million, according to the Tribune.
Kim is also set to announce an effort later this month to “find efficiencies by rethinking organization structures,” according to a college spokesperson, an apparent nod to probable cuts.
While CCC’s website puts enrollment at nearly 6,700 students, that number has slipped in recent years, down from nearly 7,000 in fall 2019, according to the Department of Education’s Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System. Going back further, federal data show that the college enrolled more than 10,000 students in fall 2013, a number it has not hit since.
Kim is expected to share a draft report on CCC’s planned changes on Feb. 28.
