Letter from President Burkhardt

Dear Naropa Community,

I am writing to update you about the current process of reduction the Naropa community is facing even as we evolve rapidly and return to growth. These changes are very painful for the people who are now taking leave or who will lose their positions, and this suffering is felt by our entire community.

I will begin by providing some institutional history and the larger context of extreme challenges facing higher education that make such difficult decrease and change necessary for our long-term sustainability.

At a small school like Naropa, enrollment changes have a significant financial impact. This is a reality that many colleges and universities here in Colorado and across the country are currently navigating. Between 2020 and 2023, Naropa experienced nearly 30 percent growth in enrollment. During that time, we intentionally expanded faculty and staff capacity to support our students and sustain that growth. Then we began anticipating shifts in enrollment driven by changing national demographics and the higher education landscape. As we expected, Naropa experienced declines in new student enrollment.

As enrollment trends began to shift, we took measured steps to adjust our operations and budget. Between 2023 and 2026, we reduced staff primarily through attrition and by leaving vacant positions unfilled, along with some staff position eliminations in fall 2025. Throughout this period, we intentionally chose not to reduce faculty or instructor positions.

For many years, Naropa has run a structural operating deficit in its annual budgets. A structural operating deficit means that annual expenses consistently exceed annual revenues, in our case, from tuition and fundraising. This reflects a fundamental, long-term imbalance rather than a temporary shortfall caused, for example, by one-time expenses. Naropa has sustained annual operating deficits through subsidies provided by the federal government through the pandemic, increased fundraising efforts, and by selling various properties. This short-term strategy enabled Naropa to continue to employ more faculty and staff than our student numbers and operating budget would otherwise support. Those short-term strategies were quite reasonable, but they are not sustainable for the long-term, and not appropriate now given growing headwinds in higher education.

This year, our total enrollment revenue decreased and Naropa’s operating deficit increased. Naropa has created a strong operational, enrollment and budget plan, and our university will receive over $20 million in proceeds from the sale of the Arapahoe campus next year. However, we must now begin to live within our means by eliminating the structural operating deficit.

Naropa must become smaller before it can thoughtfully and sustainably grow again over the coming years.

Academic Redesign & Rightsizing for Affordability, Sustainability & Regeneration

The multi-scenario strategic planning process that brought together students, staff, and faculty this year to produce the Ponderosa Plan recognizes and addresses the significant challenges facing both U.S. higher education generally as well as Naropa specifically. For example, we anticipated the U.S. administration’s cuts to federal financial aid and responded with strategies around ensuring affordability for Naropa students. These affordability efforts are essential for Naropa students, but will reduce revenues in the short term. The Ponderosa Plan maps how we will both grow enrollments and reduce expenses to eliminate structural deficits once and for all. Doing so will ensure Naropa’s long-term financial sustainability, but this has required very difficult and rapid action.

The Ponderosa Plan guides a new academic direction in which all academic programs—continuing and new—advance affordability and balanced budgets by enrolling adequate students to support program expenses, or by reducing expenses and staffing to better align with student numbers.

Our new student enrollment this summer is three times greater than last year and promises a return to growth. However, even as new student numbers grow, this next year’s enrollment will decline as we graduate larger cohorts from past years. To ensure Naropa’s long-term sustainability, we must bring the size of the institution into closer alignment with our present reality and future projections.

Our strategy for academic regeneration and financial resilience requires changes in curricula and reductions in instructional staffing. Such changes are most difficult. We have tried to communicate and implement such with transparency and compassion. Six core faculty volunteered for a “leave of absence” program designed to align with Naropa’s values. This program keeps participants connected to the Naropa community, supports continued medical benefits, and allows for the option of teaching as an adjunct. Faculty on leave may request a return to regular employment next year or may elect not to return.

Last week, Chief Academic Officer Jeffrey Pethybridge communicated to six additional core faculty that their positions were not available in the coming year and offered them the option to participate in the leave of absence program. Our hope and our plan is that our return to growth will be rapid and we will be able to bring back the core faculty on leave who want to return. If a leave of absence participant decides not to return—or if Naropa’s enrollment and curricular needs do not support a return—severance based on years of service will be provided in spring 2027.

Yesterday, many full-time or part-time visiting instructors on one-year contracts were notified that their positions will not be renewed next year. They will be offered the opportunity to teach as adjuncts. Adjunct pay has been significantly increased for all adjuncts. Nevertheless, this will be very difficult news for some dear members of the Naropa community.

None of these decisions were made lightly. The process for reductions has been intentionally grounded in established criteria that center mission and values, informed in collaboration with faculty and staff leadership, and designed to ensure adequate faculty and staff in all programs and offices. Out of respect for the privacy and personal communication plans of those affected, we are not sharing names at this time. It is crucial to acknowledge that no one has been released for reasons of performance. Every person we are losing has made important and irreplaceable contributions to our learning community, and their absence, whether short-term or permanent, will be felt deeply.

The strategy of growth through an expanded array of more affordable programs will move us to balanced budgets—and improvements in staff and faculty compensation—in 2028 and beyond. This approach will ensure that we invest the proceeds of the sale of Arapahoe campus strategically for long-term sustainability of Naropa.

Strategic Planning Update

Our faculty and staff have worked together to rapidly implement the Ponderosa Plan strategies for affordability, academic transformation, growth, and planning for the move to an improved Nalanda campus.

As part of these efforts, we recently announced major affordability initiatives including a tuition freeze for continuing students and a tuition price reduction for new students. To increase accessibility, we have added additional intakes for new students in spring and summer. We have also created more flexibility and affordability via per-credit tuition pricing while maintaining the key strengths of the cohort model.

Our strategy is already showing success with the strong new student enrollment this summer. This progress in returning to growth in enrollment reflects the resonance and relevance of Naropa’s programs and the importance of flexibility for adult learners. We look forward to welcoming the largest summer class in Naropa’s history.

New Programs

We are also making progress in expanding our array of academic programs to bring contemplative pedagogy to new professions and areas of knowledge. Our faculty has brought forward an exciting set of new online limited-residency programs:

• BA in Political & Justice Studies
• MA in Spiritual Care
• Master of Public Administration
• BA in Sustainability Studies
• MA in Cooperative Management
• BA in Contemplative Studies
• MA in Interdisciplinary Arts & Sciences
• BA in Integrative Health
• BA and MA in Leadership
• MA in Psychology
• MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling(60 credit licensure core)
• Graduate certificates from concentrations

The Higher Learning Commission has approved each of these programs and we will launch them in the coming year. Most of these programs will include accelerated pathway options for advanced undergraduates to begin graduate studies while completing their bachelor’s degree. Thank you to all the faculty and staff whose creativity and hard work contributed to these achievements.

The space planning process for the move to the Nalanda Campus is accelerating. The re-zoning and permitting process required for the sale of the Arapahoe Campus is proceeding well and a bit ahead of schedule for spring 2027. This sale, while a difficult loss of many beloved spaces at Arapahoe, will ensure we can continue to invest in strategies for the long-term flourishing of Naropa. We will continue to provide regular updates on our strategic planning work and preparations for the move to the Nalanda campus in the months ahead.

I recognize that this is a difficult moment. It asks a great deal of all of us emotionally, professionally, and personally. This is also when our contemplative values and practice matter most. We are called to meet this moment with presence, compassion, and care—for ourselves and for one another.

Naropa has always been an institution willing and able to evolve while remaining rooted in deepest purpose. That work continues now. Thank you for your resilience, your care, and your continued commitment to this community.

With gratitude,

Paul Burkhardt
President, Naropa University