A look at recent and looming cuts

Politics, not economics, accounted for the deepest cuts across higher education in April, with the University of Texas at Austin laying off more than 40 workers in its Division of Campus and Community Engagement (formerly the Division of Diversity and Community Engagement) and another 20 employees in other divisions. The move came as Texas lawmakers warned colleges that failure to comply with the state’s new anti-diversity, equity and inclusion bill could prompt legal action or a loss of state dollars.

The University of Texas at Dallas also cut 20 jobs last month in closing its Office of Campus Resources and Support. Officials cited the new anti-DEI law as the reason for the closure.

Elsewhere, job cuts were driven by business challenges as colleges dropped programs with low enrollment or trimmed staff for financial reasons. Here’s a roundup of recent campus job cuts.

Rutgers University at New Brunswick

Rutgers University at New Brunswick reportedly will not renew contracts for 29 of the 31 lecturers in its writing program, according to NorthJersey.com.

Among those who will lost their appointments are multiple longtime lecturers, one of whom has spent more than four decades on the job, the news outlet reported. The change was announced last month, leaving some lecturers scrambling to find new jobs before fall arrives.

A Rutgers spokesperson previously told Inside Higher Ed by email that changes to the Writing Program curriculum resulted in fewer class sections, though more “will be added if necessary to meet student demand.” Rutgers officials cited under-enrollment in some courses in the program.

Concordia University

Concordia University, which has campuses in Wisconsin and Michigan, intends to lay off 24 employees, according to a notice filed with the state Department of Workforce Development.

It says that 24 employees will be laid off due to a “reduction-in-force at the Mequon Campus” in Wisconsin, but also notes that Concordia “will begin terminating employees as a result of the university’s decision to reduce personnel” at both campuses for financial reasons.

Terminations are expected to begin on May 31, according to the notice.

The layoffs come amid financial issues that President Eric Ankberg said earlier this year “are most acute at the Ann Arbor campus,” despite strong enrollment growth there in recent years.

Whitworth University

Citing budget issues, Whitworth University is cutting an unspecified number of jobs.

“In light of our current student population size, university administrators, faculty and staff have evaluated program offerings, operations and employment budget lines,” a Whitworth spokesperson wrote in an emailed statement to Inside Higher Ed. “In order to achieve budget alignment, we have selectively reduced the size of our teaching staff for the next academic year.”

Officials at the Christian university in Washington state said they were unable to provide the number of jobs being cut because they “cannot disclose private information regarding personnel.” But they noted that the job cuts are tied to a $2.8 million budget shortfall for fiscal year 2025, which Whitworth is working to alleviate.

Local coverage has indicated that at least some of the cuts include music faculty.

Drake University

After initially considering cuts to 13 programs, Drake University will only eliminate three.

President Marty Martin announced in a message to the campus community that the university is dropping a religion major, an east Asian studies minor and a graduate certificate in evidence-based healthcare.

The cuts at the Des Moines university come as part of an effort to trim $14.3 million from the $132 million operating budget by July 2025, according to the Iowa Capital Dispatch.

Cleveland State University

Cleveland State University is moving forward with a plan to offer buyouts for faculty and staff members as it grapples with a projected $34 million budget deficit, cleveland.com reported.

The Board of Trustees voted last month to tap $9 million in reserves for the buyouts. Of 527 faculty members, 332 would be eligible, the news outlet reported, along with 391 of 891 staff members. Employees must have 10 years of service to qualify for a separation package. The university expects to begin reviewing applications for buyouts this month.

Columbia College Chicago

Cuts are on the horizon at Columbia College Chicago.

Due to an estimated $38 million budget deficit, a college spokesperson told the Chicago Tribune last month that layoffs “are an unavoidable part of budget reductions at this time.” Though the number of layoffs has not been specified, it seems the college could cut 10 or more faculty members and an unclear number of staffers, according to a report from CCC’s president.

Union organizers have pushed back, alleging that the college has slashed the number of professional staff members in recent years, from 762 in 2015 to 275 in 2024.

Alverno College

Alverno College in Wisconsin is considering faculty and staff reductions and changes to academic programs to “safeguard” its financial stability, the Milwaukee Business Journal reported, noting that the small, private college is facing an estimated deficit of $9 million for fiscal year 2024.

Possible cuts loom; the college has dealt with declining enrollment and operating losses in recent years, reflecting the broader trend of college struggles in Wisconsin, which has seen multiple closures and consolidations as the state navigates ongoing demographic challenges.

Recommendations for possible cuts are reportedly expected within the next two months.

Sinclair Community College

Sinclair Community College in Ohio is closing two regional learning centers, WKEF reported.

Officials cited slumping enrollment as the reason for the closure of centers in Huber Heights and Englewood, which have been operating since 2006. Currently there are no classes being taught at the Huber Heights location and only one course in session at Englewood, according to WKEF. After that course ends, the center will close by June.