St. Norbert College leaders say the school is bouncing back from low enrollment and financial strain that forced program cuts and staff layoffs in March of last year, with four new academic majors set to launch this fall.The De Pere college is adding Applied Artificial Intelligence, Nutrition, Business Analytics and Data Science two of which center on artificial intelligence as leaders work to attract more students and stabilize the institution's finances."We anticipate it's going to attract a lot of attention," economics professor Kevin Quinn said.Quinn is the dean of the college's Schneider School of Business and Economics. He said the programs will prepare students for in-demand careers."This is the result of looking around and saying, 'Okay, what does the world need?'" Quinn explained.While focused on emerging technology, the new offerings also maintain the college's liberal arts foundation, including ethics course requirements."People get that ability to write, communicate, etc... as we always did," Quinn noted.Quinn anticipates the majors will draw first-year students and signal that the college is moving toward growth.Watch the full story by Jessica Goska here: St. Norbert College adds 4 majors after layoffs and cutsIn spring of 2025, two academic years ago, the college announced it would lay off 29 percent of its faculty and discontinue 15 majors as it faced financial uncertainty.Professor Seth Meyer said as the college looks toward its future, there is a focus on attracting new students with programs that emphasize interdisciplinary study and workforce preparation."We're trying to be a little more intentional now," Meyer said. "How do we make it so that you're really career-ready for these things, so that you don't have to go do a masters."Quinn added that attracting and retaining students is what keeps a college financially stable. He says the college must continually adapt to meet the ever-evolving needs of its prospective students."The world changes, and we change, too," said Quinn.College leaders say they continue to work to improve the institution's financial standing. This year, Forbes gave the college a "B" rating on its financial report card, up from a "D" score in 2024. ...read more read less