It's a situation that's created a firestorm of discussion, especially since some of the upgrades that reportedly caused the deficits involved athletic upgrades.

WSU recently invested a lot of money in it's medical school and programs, and also upgrading athletic facilities. But the school has found itself in a $30 million dollar problem.  In order to help offset the shortfall, the university announced it is eliminating it's Performing Arts programs, which has touched off a lot of controversy.

But it's not just Performing Arts. Officials at WSU Tri-Cities have been 'put on notice,' according to Yaktrinews.com.  While nothing has been specifically laid out, there could be ripple effects in the programs offered at the campus just North of Richland.

WSU Tri-Cities has an advantage over Pullman when it comes to class sizes, which teachers and students say allows more interaction with the educators and a better learning experience.

Besides the Performing Arts programs going away, many expect teacher and staff layoffs,which mean class sizes could increase considerably even in Tri-Cities.

The overall department and program leaders at WSU have until November 1st. to submit ideas for budget cuts, ones they hope will not jeopardize or hurt their programs.

WSU Tri-Cities has 1,868 students, according to the school, a number that increased by 275 from the 2016-17 school year. There are at least 45 bachelor and other degrees that can be pursued at the North Richland campus.

 

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