York College of PA's plans to cut music program threatens scholarships

YORK COUNTY, Pa. (WHP) — Some students at the York College of Pennsylvania are having to face the music.

Cutbacks to the school’s Chamber Singers program could put many of its students in a tough position.

The students need the program for their scholarship but also to further their music education.

However, the school is singing a different tune.

“It’s nice to be able to go out and show why we’re here, why we’re a group and why we’re important because I think we sounded really good. But I think it’s disheartening that, you know time and place," said Hayley Curtis, a medical laboratory science major and music minor at York College of Pennsylvania.

At an inauguration for the school’s fifth president on Saturday a group of students sang songs of celebration. The celebration had marked the start of a new era filled with opportunity.

“Today was a lovely ceremony. Good crowd. Lots of fun. Really lovely to be able to celebrate with friends and family, students, faculty. It was a great day," said the new president of the college, Dr. Thomas Burns.

But for the Chamber Singers, their opportunity is being taken away.

“At Chambers Singers rehearsal, we were told that the program was being canceled," said Curtis.

As the recipient of the 2024 James L. Mohatt Scholarship, third-year student Curtis is required to be in an ensemble program.

But since her stem classes overlap with the chorale class – her only other option is the chamber singers program.

“Because of all the credits that I take, if I happen to need to go over the 18 limit, it pays for an entire course for me," said Curtis.

Hayley says likely more than half of the class has a scholarship riding on the ensemble program. “The switch from the support of the arts to where we’re at now, losing programs, was not something I expected from the transfer. And I’m not super jazzed about it.”

CBS21 asked York College President Dr. Thomas Burns about the chamber singers, and his response was, “oh, we’re not talking about that.”

When we asked if the program would be available next year, Dr. Burns said “Uh, so, I think we’re done. Thanks so much, I appreciate your time." He then proceeded to take his mic off during the interview, to which he said, "but yeah, that’s not what we’re gonna do.”

To the members of the program who performed during the president's inauguration, it was disheartening.

“For it to be just brushed off entirely it was like we just sang for you," said Curtis.

Three days ago, a petition was started to keep the program in the future.

Here's what the new president is thinking about for the future:

"We need to be working on developing majors minors certificate programs — really support the industries in the community that we live in. So I wanna spend some time within the next year really thinking about what do manufacturers need, what do employers need," said Dr. Burns.

The chamber singers have their last performance tomorrow.

The future of the program is still up in the air.