AM I NEXT? NO LOVE AT COLLEGE OF SAINT ROSE

Albany, New York-based College of Saint Rose, a liberal arts educational institution, has officially announced its closure after the end of the academic year, culminating with its May 11, 2024, graduation ceremony.

The closure will impact 646 employees, including visiting faculty operating on contracts. The closure will be completed by the end of 2024.

According to a school spokesperson, "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."

Board Chair Jeffrey D. Stone noted, “It is with a heavy heart that the Board decided to close the college at the end of this academic year. The Board determined that the College does not have the financial resources to operate for the full 2024-2025 academic year and, therefore, cannot remain a standalone institution. Like many small, private higher education institutions in the Northeast, the College has struggled to manage operating expenses in the face of declining enrollment caused by both a shrinking pool of high school graduates and the prolonged negative impact of COVID-19. We are devastated that despite all our efforts we were unable to avoid closure. Our goal now is to ease the transition for our students, faculty, and staff.”

Change is coming. There will always be a tomorrow, no matter how much you may try to ignore it. There are no guarantees in life or promises for a bright future. We see good people being laid off through no fault of their own. Just because something bad hasn't happened yet doesn't mean it won't. It can happen to anyone, anytime, anywhere. No one is guaranteed to wake up tomorrow and still have a job by evening. Are you now wondering, Am I Next?

AM I NEXT? NO LOVE AT DUOLINGO

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania-based Duolingo, an educational technology company that produces learning apps and provides language certification, has announced a ten percent reduction in its translator contractors as it adopts generative AI translations for its language-learning platform.

According to a company spokesperson, "No full-time employees were affected by the layoffs and the company no longer need as many contract employees, mostly quality checkers for the AI translations." The company noted that not all layoffs were due to technology adoption."

CEO Luis von Ahn has noted, “Generative AI is accelerating our work by helping us create new content dramatically faster.

"We are not swapping the expertise of human experts for AI. AI is a tool we are using to increase productivity and efficiency, to add new content, and improve our courses faster so that we can continue to teach to higher levels of proficiency.”

Change is coming. There will always be a tomorrow, no matter how much you may try to ignore it. There are no guarantees in life or promises for a bright future. We see good people being laid off through no fault of their own. Just because something bad hasn't happened yet doesn't mean it won't. It can happen to anyone, anytime, anywhere. No one is guaranteed to wake up tomorrow and still have a job by evening. Are you now wondering, Am I Next?

AM I NEXT? NO LOVE AT EDUCATIONWORKS

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania-based EducationWorks, a publicly funded nonprofit provider of after-school programs and in-school support services to under-resourced urban schools in New Jersey, has announced major operational issues following the untimely death of Miles H. Wilson, chief executive officer of EducationWorks.

Financial issues apparently lead to the layoff of 133 employees and the cessation of activities at a number of schools.

According to a statement from EducationWorks interim board chair Marc Orlow, “We were forced into this position because we are awaiting significant payment for services already rendered to local and State providers.”

Change is coming. There will always be a tomorrow, no matter how much you may try to ignore it. There are no guarantees in life or promises for a bright future. We see good people being laid off through no fault of their own. Just because something bad hasn't happened yet, doesn't mean it won't. It can happen to anyone, anytime, anywhere. No one is guaranteed to wake up tomorrow and still have a job by evening. Are you now wondering, Am I Next?