Latest Job Cuts Impact Both Public and Private Campuses

The usual suspects drove another round of job cuts in October.

Universities across the nation pointed to budget deficits, declining enrollment and mounting fiscal pressures as the forces that compelled decisions to eliminate jobs and programs last month, with some seeking to lay off dozens of employees to plug financial gaps. Funding uncertainty was also at play, with one university attributing job cuts to the reallocation of federal dollars.

Here’s the latest on personnel cuts announced last month.

University of Oregon

After months of deliberation, officials at the public institution in Eugene unveiled a proposal to tackle a multiyear budget gap estimated at $65 million, which will include job and program cuts.

Oregon officials expect to eliminate more than 100 jobs, though about a third of those are vacant positions that will be closed. Administrators told local media that no tenure-track faculty will be laid off, but 61 professors have signed up for a retirement program, which will shrink those ranks over the next two years. UO also plans to ax multiple graduate programs.

The cuts loom as the university seeks to plug its budget hole amid a recent downturn in out-of-state students. UO officials have attributed that shift—which they expect to continue—to demographic challenges and increased competition from other universities, according to budget documents.

University officials expect to make final decisions on the cuts in December.

The proposed cuts come after Nike co-founder and UO graduate Phil Knight donated $1 billion to the university in September, the largest gift in its history. However, those funds are earmarked for an engineering college, which offers no relief for Oregon’s current budget issues.

University of Tulsa

The private university in Oklahoma is cutting 9 percent of its staff, The Tulsa World reported.

A spokesperson told the newspaper that many of the eliminated positions were vacant but declined to provide the total number of jobs axed. However, Tulsa’s website indicates that it has roughly 650 staff members, meaning nearly 60 jobs could be eliminated.

Officials also said in an email obtained by the newspaper that the cuts were mostly within central administration and no faculty members were affected. The university has racked up more than $90 million in short-term debt, which prompted Moody’s Investors Service to downgrade its credit rating in August.

Seton Hall University

Officials at the private Catholic university in New Jersey announced last month that they eliminated 46 administrative positions as part of a cost-cutting effort unveiled earlier this year.

Vice President for Finance and Chief Financial Officer Edward J. Bischof Sr. wrote in a message to campus that the head-count reduction was achieved through a mix of eliminating open positions, layoffs and retirements. He also announced that the university is launching a voluntary separation program for eligible employees intended to further reduce personnel costs.

Bischof added that since the program is voluntary, “total savings that will be generated are not yet known” and “additional cost-saving measures” may be necessary depending on outcomes.

Stockton University

Grappling with a projected $25 million budget deficit, the public university in New Jersey is cutting 21 jobs.

President Joe Bertolino called the cuts “difficult but necessary” in the layoff announcement last month, writing that they were intended to ensure Stockton remains “financially viable and well-positioned for the future,” The Press of Atlantic City reported. Officials have attributed the cuts—which have prompted campus protests—to declines in both enrollment and state support.

The layoffs affect both faculty and staff. The newspaper reported that 14 faculty members, including eight tenured professors, and seven staffers have been targeted.

Jackson State University

The public, historically Black university is cutting eight staff jobs due to federal funding issues, Mississippi Today reported.

The news outlet reported that employees were notified late last month that their jobs, which were funded through a federal Title III grant, would be eliminated by the end of the year. University officials told Mississippi Today that the funds were reallocated, not necessarily lost, but did not provide details on what prompted the job cuts or how much money was redirected.

Cuts affected employees working in areas including fundraising and alumni engagement.