St. Cloud State University ends theatre program

Detroit Lakes, Minn. (KDLM) – St. Cloud State is cutting its theatre department and incoming students will no longer be able to select the field of study as a major.

The announcement comes after St. Cloud State University President Robbyn Wacker said the school is facing a $24 million shortfall over the next year this past April. 

She also said the university is down about 6,000 students since 2010, which represents a 38 percent decrease in enrollment.

The lower enrollment was cited as the reason for cutting the department.

Current theatre students near the completion of their degree are being offered a teach-out year, so they will be able to take all of their remaining theatre classes for their major in a single school year. Many are expected to graduate in the spring.