HACC, main campus
HACC coaches and student athletes were informed Thursday that the college will eliminate its basketball, cross country, soccer and volleyball sport programs this fall.
“This decision was not made lightly. It reflects both financial realities and the strategic efforts to better align our offerings with long-term student engagement and institutional sustainability,” HACC announced.
According to the Harrisburg-based community college, 13 coaching positions will be eliminated this month in line with the move.
Meanwhile the college said it will begin intramural sports programs and is keeping its eSports program active, as well as its women’s flag football club.
The sports programming cuts come a few weeks after the college announced it will be making changes and downsizing due to compounding pressures that “could have resulted in a deficit approaching $10 million without intervention.”
It listed three straight years of flat state funding appropriations, an 11% increase in employee healthcare costs, rising operating expenses (driven by inflation) and a projected enrollment decline of 1.8% among such pressures.
HACC adopted a $128-million operating budget for 2026-27 on April 7, which it said limited the institution’s deficit to $5 million. This was also the first budget cycle with a newly ratified collective bargaining agreement with the faculty union, HACC noted.
HACC, main campus
Cost-saving measures employed in the budget included eliminating 87 filled and 41 vacant positions, retrenching two faculty positions, and phasing out certain academic programs while restructuring others.
In fall 2026 it will begin offering “concentrations” rather stand alone programs for:
- Addiction Recovery Services Associate in Applied Science
- Art Associate in Fine Arts
- English Associate in Arts
- Exercise Science Associate in Science
- Human Services Associate in Applied Science
- Physical Science Associate in Science
- Political Science Associate in Science
- Social Services Associate in Arts
The college will meanwhile sunset the following programs in fall 2026:
- Early Childhood Care and Education Certificate
- Electronic Engineering Technology Associate in Science
- Film and Theatre Associate in Fine Arts
- Geospatial Technology Associate in Science
- Geospatial Technology Diploma
- Mathematics Associate in Science
- Wellness and Health Promotion Associate in Applied Science
All students currently enrolled in the programs will be allowed to finish.
HACC has said that maintaining affordability is a core institutional commitment and that these cost-cutting measures will help moderate tuition increases to ensure HACC continues to be accessible for the region’s students.
“The 2026-27 budget reflects a long-standing practice of accountable budget stewardship as well as our ongoing commitment to putting and serving students first,” said HACC President and CEO John “Ski” Sygielski.
The college also said it remains “firmly committed” to returning to a structurally balanced budget no later than 2027-28.
Beginning in June 2026, Daniel Lufkin will begin his role as HACC president. He was hired April 7.
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