February brought a flurry of layoffs driven by cost-cutting efforts that were mostly tied to reducing budget shortfalls. In one case, dozens of jobs were slashed amid a merger.
In total, colleges and universities cut more than 300 jobs last month, including multiple tenured faculty positions.
Other institutions—particularly those with weak enrollment—looked to reduce programs. Politics also played a factor in driving some departmental mergers.
Here’s a look at layoffs and program cuts announced last month.
New Jersey City University
As part of a looming merger with nearby Kean University, the public institution laid off at least 151 employees last month, including 33 faculty members, The Jersey City Times reported.
Sources told the newspaper that 24 of the 33 had tenure and that “entire staff offices are being wiped out,” as those functions will likely shift to Kean following the conclusion of the merger, which is expected by July.
NJCU will be known as Kean Jersey City following the merger.
Idaho State University
Facing an $8 million deficit partly driven by state efforts to reduce its budget, the public university in Pocatello is cutting dozens of jobs and closing vacancies, The Idaho State Journal reported.
In all, Idaho State is eliminating 45 jobs, though the newspaper noted that 40 percent of those positions are currently vacant. Planned cuts include 12 faculty positions, 21 staff roles and 11 administrative jobs. Based on staffing numbers, the administrative ranks will be hit the hardest, with 11 of 75 positions cut, representing almost 15 percent of the administration.
Idaho State also plans to merge some schools and departments.
Union College
The private liberal arts college in New York is laying off roughly 40 employees, essentially all of its dining staff—though they will be able to apply for jobs with a contractor running campus food services, the Times Union reported.
Union is also offering early-retirement incentives for employees amid the cost-cutting efforts.
The cuts come after the college missed enrollment goals for the last two years. Officials said in a message to campus that personnel changes were intended to “achieve necessary savings.”
Napa Valley College
Citing financial issues attributed to both the loss of federal grants and lower-than-anticipated funding revenues from local property taxes, the community college is eliminating 33 jobs, The Press Democrat reported.
Napa Valley’s Board of Trustees voted 4 to 2 to lay off 16 workers and close 17 vacancies. The cuts enacted by the board reportedly do not include layoffs for any faculty members.
A Hispanic-serving institution, the college lost previously designated federal dollars last year after the Trump administration declared HSI and other programs were unconstitutional.
College of Wooster
Leadership at the private liberal arts college in Ohio announced last month that they are laying off 22 staff members due to recent enrollment declines, Ideastream Public Media reported.
Of the 22 staff members being laid off, 18 are full-time. No faculty jobs were cut.
“These actions were based on financial realities and made with the support of the Board of Trustees to help return the College to a balanced budget in an era of smaller incoming classes,” President Anne McCall wrote in a letter to campus announcing the layoffs. “They in no way reflect on the performance or dedication of the people who have left the College.”
Central State University
The historically Black university in Ohio plans to ax at least 16 faculty jobs due to ongoing financial issues and amid broader cuts driven by a state law that requires colleges to shed low-enrollment programs, WYSO reported.
The vast majority of the job cuts reportedly fall on the humanities.
University of Montevallo
The Board of Trustees voted to eliminate 16 minors and concentrations as the public university in Alabama grapples with an $8 million budget deficit, according to The Shelby County Reporter.
Among the programs cut, the African American studies minor had the highest enrollment, with a head count of 10 students. Other minors, such as Latin American studies, had no students enrolled.
Program cuts are expected to save the university an estimated $400,000.
Greenfield Community College
Projecting a budget shortfall, the Massachusetts community college has launched an early-retirement incentive program in an effort to cut costs, The Daily Hampshire Gazette reported.
College officials have not publicly specified how many employees they hope will opt in. They attributed the buyouts to rising operational costs and broader economic issues for the sector.
Buffalo State University
This Buffalo outpost of the State University of New York system announced plans to cut eight academic programs due to low enrollment, retention and completion rates, WIVB reported.
Programs on the chopping block include one undergraduate and two graduate programs as well as two minors and three certificates. To help close a budget deficit, Buffalo State will cut an undergraduate degree in environmental geography as well as master’s degrees in conflict analysis and resolution and higher education and student affairs administration.
Only 48 students are enrolled in the combined undergraduate and graduate degree programs, which is less than 1 percent of Buffalo State’s head count, according to the university’s website.
University of Texas at Austin
The state flagship plans to fold its gender studies and multiple ethnic studies programs into a newly established Department for Social and Cultural Analysis Studies by September.
The move comes amid a storm of controversy across the state over how topics such as race and gender are taught. In January, Texas A&M University announced it was closing its women’s and gender studies program to comply with a new policy that restricts discussions of race and gender. Now UT Austin is moving gender-related programs rather than closing them outright.
Early reporting on the shift did not indicate how staffing levels may be affected.
University of Texas at San Antonio
Days after UT Austin made moves to combine programs, UTSA took action to dissolve its Department of Race, Ethnicity, Gender and Sexuality Studies, which houses multiple majors.
Now UTSA plans to consolidate the department—which housed Mexican American and African American studies, among other subjects—with the Department of Bicultural-Bilingual Studies. The move is expected to be completed by Sept. 1. Officials have indicated no layoffs are expected due to the change.
