'Just Keep Going': Students Ponder Future After Johnson & Wales University To Close Denver Campus

DENVER (CBS4)- After Johnson and Wales University announced its Denver location was going to close at the end of the next academic year, some students say that's leaving their future even more uncertain.

"I came out here to look at the campus literally a year ago today it was my first time on campus. Beautiful campus, 20 minutes from downtown Denver, easy to get to the mountains and basically gave me everything I was looking for," said Kevin Piotrzkowski, a Junior studying Sports, Entertainment, Event- Management at JWU.

On Thursday, he woke up to an email saying the campus will close next spring.

"Something this big? No, we weren't expecting it at all. I was like, 'Oh, is school done?' And then I was like, 'Wait what does this mean going forward?' It was quite the shock to wake up to," he said.

Piotrzkowski says he has a little more than two semesters worth of classes and an internship in order to earn his degree. The school has told students counselors will work to create an academic solution. Transferring and online classes are also an option at the two remaining campuses JWU will continue operating.

But some students think a year leaves them in a precarious position with the potential for classes to be eliminated if teachers leave the school. COVID-19 is providing even more uncertainty as students see how the spring semester was quickly switched to an all-online format.

"It just seems like everyone is in scramble mode to some degree to figure out OK, what's the best thing we can do for all the kids, but at the same time you have to take care of yourself if you're a teacher in this situation," said Piotrzkowski.

He and other teammates were hoping to stick out the year together while playing on the school's golf team. On Friday afternoon, the school announced all athletics would stop and not be played next school year.

"At the end of the day it's life. You have to take the punches thrown at you and what are you going to do with them? Everyone is facing a lot of adversity right now," Piotrzkowski said. "Just keep going, keep pushing and we'll get through it. It's a tough time but we'll go."