DE PERE, Wis–The Saint Norbert College Board of Trustees issues a statement in support of President Laurie Joyner. Joyner has come under fire on campus for proposed cuts in faculty and elimination of some majors.
Board President Patti Brash McKeithan says that “decisive leadership is crucial” to deal with declining enrollment, and points out that no final recommendations have been made yet. The letter of support also notes that Saint Norbert has a balanced budget.
Here is the complete statement:
Higher education is undergoing seismic shifts — declining enrollment, financial constraints, digital disruption, economic pressures, and shifting student demographics. In the face of these challenges, decisive leadership is crucial.
The retrenchment process that we approved last year is underway. The faculty has provided their recommendations for program discontinuation, the deans have been involved in ongoing consultation, and the governance system has engaged with the administration regarding program elimination and the criteria for faculty termination as outlined in the Faculty Handbook. Dr. Martin Conley is finalizing her recommendations. As of yet, the president has not received final recommendations.
As an alumna, I can state with authority that St. Norbert College is a truly special place. This year marks my 20th year as an active member of this community, having served two tours on the Board of Trustees. Over these decades, I have had lifelong friendships with students, faculty, staff, and other alumni. I empathize with faculty and the campus community as efforts continue to align revenue and expenses after multiple years of not doing so. While losing faculty members who have earned our admiration is painful, the reality is that not addressing the well-documented challenges facing higher education will result in greater threats to our sacred mission and beloved College.
As the governing body with fiduciary responsibility and a moral obligation to steward the mission and long-term success of St. Norbert College, the Board of Trustees reaffirms its unwavering support for President Laurie Joyner. We selected President Joyner because of her experience and integrity. She is mission-focused and recognized for her leadership and record of consistently exceeding goals and expectations. Her efforts are aligned with what the Board and Sponsor have directed, and we have full confidence in her.
We share this endorsement in response to the orchestrated campaign aimed at diminishing President Joyner’s efforts and confidence in her leadership. These efforts are unjustified and deeply counterproductive at a time when our shared focus must be on securing the College’s best future. As a reminder, the challenges that “Preserving the St. Norbert Legacy: A Shared Promise of Stewardship” addresses were present and festering at St. Norbert College before the Board’s first interview with President Joyner. We stand firmly with President Joyner and her leadership team as they continue the difficult, but necessary, work of our College.
During the past year, the College has made considerable progress in addressing its long-developing financial and operational challenges. Among these achievements:
• Implemented nearly $12 million in budget adjustments, a critical step toward long term financial sustainability.
• Balanced the FY24 budget and are on track to balance the FY25 budget while taking proactive steps to address a projected $7 million deficit in FY26.
• Implemented multiple strategic initiatives, including athletics optimization and the RIZE partnership, to generate new revenue that are showing promising signs of growth.
Academic excellence and program innovation
• Expanded faculty-driven academic offerings to better align with student interests.
• Introduced new program offerings through an innovative partnership, expanding options for SNC students to graduate with skills that prepare them for success.
• Protected the integrity of our liberal arts mission — every student will continue to engage in a broad-based education with courses spanning the humanities, arts, natural sciences, and social sciences.
Demonstrated a commitment to transparency and shared governance
• Established clear, consistent, ongoing communication channels, including a dedicated landing page on the website, town halls, individual meetings, emails, videos, and faculty governance engagement, ensuring a collaborative approach to institutional decision-making.
• Adhered to SNC Faculty Handbook protocols for retrenchment, ensuring fairness, transparency, and respect in every decision.
We call on faculty, staff, students, and alumni to focus on constructive engagement — working with the administration to navigate challenges rather than seeking to delay, deny, and delegitimize the leadership charged with enacting essential changes required to ensure SNC continues its inspiring mission for another 125 years.
This is a call for cooperation and to turn away from the divisive actions and communication that have recently plagued us and are harming our beloved College. Perpetuating misinformation is unfortunate and amplifies the emotion and anxiety across constituent groups. This is dangerous in many ways and tragic as the College is working hard to provide students with the best learning experience possible while keeping SNC accessible and affordable.
In today’s higher education landscape, survival depends on adaptability, collaboration, and mission-driven leadership. It will take every one of us working together to accomplish what is required to nurture and position the College for the coming decades.
There is so much excellent work to build on at the College. The Board is grateful to the campus community for its hard work and incredible accomplishments. Each time we meet, we review the incredible points of pride that are the culmination of our community’s collective talent and collaborative effort. We have much to celebrate at SNC: national rankings of excellence; expanded academic and athletic initiatives producing promising results; and the launch of an exciting web redesign this summer that authentically embodies the ethos of the College. Not to mention the incredible stories about student achievements and what our impressive graduates go on to accomplish in their communities and careers.
The Board of Trustees fully supports President Joyner as she continues working with those who share the objective of securing St. Norbert College’s future. We applaud those who are exhibiting professionalism and patience as we engage the retrenchment process in good faith, according to the Faculty Handbook. We ask our faculty, staff, students, and alumni to reject destructive rhetoric. Join us in advancing the legacy of this great Catholic, Norbertine, and liberal arts institution.
Together, we will emerge stronger.
Patti Brash McKeithan
Chair
St. Norbert College Board of Trustees
