As the new academic year approaches, universities and colleges across the country are grappling with significant budgetary constraints amid declining enrollment, federal student aid delays and loss of pandemic dollars, leading to widespread program and staff reductions.
Many institutions --- both private and public --- are making tough decisions to trim expenses and streamline operations as a result.
These cuts often involve eliminating or consolidating academic programs deemed less critical or less profitable, reducing faculty and staff positions, and scaling back campus services. For many institutions, these measures are part of broader efforts to address financial shortfalls and adapt to changing educational landscapes.
Faculty and staff, on the other hand, are dealing with job insecurity amid these shifting priorities.
Here's a roundup of several institutions experiencing program and job cuts this upcoming school year:
- In May, the University of Lynchburg in Virginia closed 12 undergraduate programs and five graduate programs, impacting a total of 4.5% of students. Students currently in these programs will be able to complete their degrees, and the closed programs will be phased out the next three to four years. The school also reduced its number of vice presidents and cut 10% of university staff, or about 40 positions. University President Alison Morrison-Shetlar said the cuts were part of a larger restructuring plan, partially brought on by a declining college-aged population and recent FAFSA application delays.
- Brandeis University President Ron Liebowitz announced in May that the Massachusetts school would need to eliminate 60 positions to reduce a projected $2 million budget deficit for the next academic year. Brandeis has seen its total enrollment slide approximately 9% in the past five years, according to the Boston Globe. Cuts include those to staff and administrative positions, as well as some adjunct roles.
- St. Cloud State University in Minnesota aims to cut 42 degrees and 50 minor programs amid a $14.4 million deficit. Eliminated programs include Spanish, sociology, gender and women's studies, hydrology, physics and other liberal arts degrees. About 55 faculty jobs will be cut between now and May 2027.
- The University of North Carolina's Asheville and Greensboro campuses are set to cut over a dozen degree programs, including Mediterranean studies, religious studies and physics. A July Board of Governors meeting blamed a combination of "post-pandemic recovery, depressed enrollment, changing student demographics, shifting student demand, and budget shortfalls" as reasons for the cuts.
- West Virginia University is cutting several majors from its campuses to combat enrollment drops and a budget deficit. The cuts will affect chemistry, math and aviation management at the Beckley campus; and recreation, parks and tourism, and wood science and technology degrees at the Potomac State College in Keyser.
- Western Illinois University announced last week that it would cut nearly 90 faculty and staff roles over the next year. The school also announced hiring and spending freezes, with over 100 vacant positions to remain unfilled.
- As pandemic aid dries up, the University of New Orleans' $15 million deficit has prompted the institution to cut its budget and that of the athletic department. More than 70 positions will be eliminated or remain unfilled. The school will also close Milneburg Hall, which houses several departments, including urban studies, anthropology and political science, according to The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate.
- Rider University in New Jersey cut 31 jobs, citing nationwide problems in processing federal student financial aid forms and other financial problems. No faculty are included in these cuts.
