Cuts at Saint Augustine’s, Drexel amongst steepest in November

A number of establishments introduced job and program cuts final month, whereas others indicated that such modifications could also be on the horizon as they grapple with monetary challenges and declining enrollments.

Right here’s a take a look at cuts throughout the sector introduced in November.

Saint Augustine’s College

Going through an existential disaster, the personal HBCU in Raleigh, N.C., plans to chop half its workforce to attain fiscal compliance with accreditation necessities, officers introduced.

In all, the cuts add as much as greater than 130 staff.

Among the many reductions are 67 staffers, 37 full-time college positions and 32 adjunct college jobs. The sweeping cuts come forward of a December assembly with the Southern Affiliation of Schools and Colleges Fee on Schools, which stripped SAU’s accreditation earlier this 12 months, although the college was capable of persuade an arbitration committee to reverse the choice.

SAU stays accredited, however it’s on probation.

“Whereas troublesome, we acknowledge the seriousness of our monetary challenges, and these measures are essential for our long-term sustainability,” interim president Marcus H. Burgess stated in a information launch. “We’re dedicated to remodeling SAU right into a financially secure establishment that prioritizes the success of our college students and stakeholders. Our ongoing efforts to stabilize the monetary situation of Saint Augustine’s College are actually exhibiting tangible outcomes—our neighborhood is responding positively, and we’re enthusiastic about our future. Collectively, we’ll work diligently to rebuild our basis.”

The transfer comes shortly after SAU took out a $7 million mortgage with a 24 % rate of interest and a 2 % mortgage administration charge, which some critics have alleged is predatory. The college put its actual property holdings up as collateral, a transfer that has alarmed and outraged some alumni.

Drexel College

The Philadelphia establishment laid off 60 workers members final month as a consequence of a funds crunch triggered partly by a focused enrollment shortfall of 500 college students, which added as much as $22 million in misplaced tuition income, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported. The layoffs quantity to 1.4 % of the workforce.

One other 155 staff opted right into a voluntary retirement program, the newspaper reported.

Drexel officers advised the Inquirer in a press release that the discount in head rely is a part of the college’s “plan for resolving an approximate 10 [percent] imbalance in its working funds to be able to guarantee resilience amid monetary headwinds dealing with the higher-education sector.”

College of Akron

The general public analysis college in Ohio might minimize practically three dozen college members and merge some tutorial departments because it grapples with falling enrollment, Ideastream Public Media reported.

“With years of declining enrollment, we have to prioritize and concentrate on development concurrently we modify our workforce, together with within the tutorial models,” College of Akron president R. J. Nemer wrote final month in a letter that the information outlet obtained. “This may sadly contain the discount of bargaining unit college positions on the College. We can be adjusting the variety of the school to satisfy present pupil demand inside our varied diploma choices.”

Departments focused for cuts embody anthropology, physics, artwork, historical past, polymer science and engineering, and chemical, biomolecular and corrosion engineering, amongst others.

The college can be weighing different initiatives, together with probably privatizing parking providers and residence corridor operations and decreasing athletic expenditures.

Christian Brothers College

Below scrutiny from its accreditor for monetary points, the personal college in Tennessee minimize 20 college jobs and lowered salaries for some executives by 5 %, the Industrial Attraction reported.

Of the 20 jobs eradicated, 12 have been vacant.

College officers advised the newspaper that personnel and spending cuts helped Christian Brothers attain a funds surplus—its first in years—which might support a “monetary turnaround.”

The college is at present on probation with its accreditor, the Southern Affiliation of Schools and Colleges Fee on Schools, partly as a consequence of monetary causes. However officers are optimistic that the probation can be lifted throughout the subsequent 12 months.

College of Denver

Going through an $11 million funds deficit and allegations of monetary mismanagement, the personal analysis college minimize eight workers jobs and an undisclosed variety of vacancies, The Denver Put up reported.

College officers have attributed the funds hole to declining enrollment.

One other 15 workers jobs within the School of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences will reportedly get replaced with higher-paid roles designed to serve all 20 tutorial departments throughout the college. DU additionally closed its campus meals pantry—which was supported by donations— after it ran out of funds. Nevertheless, a spokesperson advised the newspaper it intends to reopen the meals pantry within the close to future.

School members within the School of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences solid a vote of no confidence in Chancellor Jeremy Haefner final month, accusing him of “fiscal mismanagement.”

Cabrillo School

Eyeing a projected $4.3 million funds deficit, the California neighborhood faculty is not going to exchange 11 retiring college members, which officers calculated will save about $1.7 million, Lookout Santa Cruz reported.

Officers attributed the funds deficit to rising prices and anticipated state funding modifications.

Along with leaving these positions unfilled, Cabrillo plans to chop 70 of its 1,394 courses, in line with the information outlet. Cabrillo can be contemplating different cost-cutting measures, together with attainable furloughs.

West Virginia College

Seven extra tutorial applications are on the way in which out on the state flagship, which has seen deep job and program cuts lately, The Pittsburgh Put up-Gazette reported.

Officers famous low enrollment in these applications and stated no college jobs can be affected.

Final month the WVU Board of Governors permitted a plan to eradicate 5 graduate and two certificates applications. The affected graduate applications embody grasp’s levels in instructional psychology, teaching and sports activities training, biomedical sciences, and program analysis and analysis. A doctoral program in studying sciences and human improvement was additionally axed.

Graduate certificates applications in software program engineering and quantitative and qualitative social science analysis strategies have been additionally eradicated. This system cuts can be efficient as of subsequent fall.

Averett College

The Virginia establishment is dropping 5 tutorial applications and the Averett Symphonic Band, following current monetary challenges that additionally led to pay cuts for quite a few staff.

Earlier this 12 months, officers revealed that Averett was coping with a monetary shortfall after an unnamed worker made unauthorized withdrawals from the college’s endowment. The matter appeared to be a mistake reasonably than malfeasance; officers famous “no proof of embezzlement” or misuse of funds. However the mistake prompted a reported $6 million in cuts for this tutorial 12 months.

Now Averett will discontinue new enrollment and wind down bachelor’s applications in artwork, chemistry, math, fashionable languages and faith, in addition to a grasp’s program in felony justice.

“Averett College has been exploring methods to reimagine and realign our tutorial choices to maximise market-responsiveness whereas constructing upon our strengths in utilized liberal arts. This course of has resulted in a extra targeted construction for tutorial applications sooner or later, together with decreasing or combining a handful of educational applications that both don’t have any or low enrollment,” Averett officers wrote in a assertion posted on-line final month about this system cuts.

American College

Grappling with a projected $60 million funds shortfall, the Washington, D.C.-based establishment is bracing for modifications—together with the potential of overhauling the College of Training.

What that may appear to be has but to be revealed, however the dean of the College of Training despatched college students an e mail indicating that “large restructuring” was doubtless sparking some panic via the neighborhood. Whereas college officers haven’t publicly outlined their imaginative and prescient, a spokesperson advised native media that AU doesn’t plan to chop the College of Training, as some college students concern.

“There isn’t any dialogue about reducing the College of Training (SOE). Discussions about restructuring SOE’s administrative framework are ongoing and have been for a while as a part of our common analysis of our tutorial choices,” a spokesperson advised NBC Washington.

Nevertheless, some college students advised the TV station that they continue to be skeptical about what comes subsequent and have been searching for assurances that the College of Training will stay a free-standing faculty.