The College of Saint Rose Class of 2024 will be the final class of students to earn a diploma there.

The school’s confirmed in a letter to students and staff what NewsChannel 13 was first to report on Thursday. The Board of Trustees voted to shut down the college at the end of spring semester.

“The closure of Saint Rose is truly heartbreaking for all of us who care deeply about the history and legacy of this institution and the extraordinary students we serve and have served for 103 years,” Saint Rose President Marcia White said in a note to students and staff. “We are announcing this now, months in advance of the actual closure, to give you as much time as possible to plan for your future.”

It’s a sad day for the Saint Rose community, its 2,800 students, 47,000 alumni, and for faculty and staff.
Saint Rose has seen a significant enrollment decline in recent years.

Because tuition accounts for a large part of the school’s revenue, the school’s revenue declined considerably, rendering it unable to pay its bills.

The school first opened in 1920. For more than a century, it has been a staple of Albany’s Pine Hills neighborhood, consisting of 46 acres, and 90 buildings.

What to do with that real estate will be determined down the road.

The primary concern is how to satisfy more than 1,200 students, most of whom are anxious to get their degrees, and move forward with their lives.

They will need assistance transferring credits and moving on to other schools.

“The situation is very dire. The funding is there to finish the school year. So the students that are there are fine through the school year, meaning the end of May of 2024,” said Assemblywoman Pat Fahy. “If you’re a junior or sophomore, I am also working on that as well with all of my colleagues to make sure that we figure out how to save or provide some type of seamless transition if things do not work out in the next few days.”

Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehan and Albany County Executive Dan McCoy released this statement:

“We want to extend our sympathy and concern to the students, faculty, staff, and alumni of The College of Saint Rose. We all hoped that this day would not come. Today’s reported announcement by the College that it is closing at the end of the Spring 2024 semester ends more than a century of its presence in our Pine Hills neighborhood, and its impact on the fabric of our community and the broader Capital Region.

“We are in close communication with City and County stakeholders, state and local government leaders, academia, and developers to ensure that we are all working together to reimagine the CSR campus to minimize the impact of the College’s closure. In the coming weeks and months, we will also work with the College’s staff to connect them to job opportunities with the City, County, and other local employers through job fairs and other events.

“Together, we will work to create new opportunities and economic growth for Albany and our entire region.”

White has scheduled a meeting with students and faculty at noon Friday to discuss the news.

NewsChannel 13 continues to follow this story. We will bring you updates on WNYT.com as we get them and on our later newscasts.