Newhouse cancels fall 2026 D.C. semester, citing low student enrollment
Newhouse canceled its fall 2026 D.C. program after only three students enrolled for the semester away. Students in the program, who were notified via email, were offered alternative options. Shivika Gupta | Senior Staff Writer
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Syracuse University’s Newhouse School of Public Communications canceled its fall 2026 D.C. program in an email to the three-person cohort on Tuesday.
“We know you have committed to Newhouse D.C. in Fall 2026 and that this news may not align with your plans,” Newhouse Associate Dean of Academic Affairs Aileen Gallagher wrote in the email. “Ultimately, we expect this switch to create more opportunities for more students – including you.”
With only three students enrolled for the program in the fall, program directors said they felt it would be better to adjust the timeline to better meet the needs and desires of students.
Students who had planned to study in D.C. this fall were offered three alternative choices for their semester: defer to Newhouse D.C. in the spring, transfer to the Newhouse NYC program in the fall or remain at SU and register for classes as usual.
“I look at my job, in part, as being a good steward of your tuition dollars,” Newhouse Dean Mark Lodato said. “Programming courses with just a handful of students, in my opinion, isn’t the best way to deploy our outstanding faculty.”
Lodato said Newhouse remains highly invested in providing opportunities for students in D.C. But, given students’ interest in previous semesters, Gallagher said the university will hold off on offering fall D.C. semesters for now, until the next presidential election — a period that usually gets more student interest.
Students will automatically be accepted into any spring or summer programs they choose to attend, according to the email.
SU junior Jack Siciliano, one of the students planning to go to D.C. this fall, said he was not surprised by the news and is still very excited to study in New York City. Siciliano said he expects a seamless transition to the New York City program.
“It is unfortunate that there’s so few people that are interested in going,” Siciliano said. “I feel like they’re great opportunities, and they can really help students, especially in the journalism field.”
Students were encouraged to reach out directly to Gallagher with their plans moving forward or with any questions.
Newhouse will still host a semester-long D.C. program in the spring as well as a shorter Maymester term that runs from May 10 to May 21, according to the email.
