March brought downs, buyouts and elimination of multiple academic programs as universities sought to fill budget loopholes encountered by sector challenges and national budget issues.
While many universities have announced the hiring freezes and other moves due to the uncertainty of federal funding under Trump, the cuts below are not directly related to government budget cuts and government efforts to narrow down. Instead, they are largely related to reducing enrollment or loss of state funds.
University of Dayton
Officials at Ohio’s private Catholic research institute announced last month that cuts affect 65 employees. 45 faculty members will not renew their contracts and cancelled 20 staff positions. Dayton Daily News Report.
The affected employees will be reportedly severance payments.
The report said the total cuts are expected to save $25 million in three years. The move “focused on financial sustainability,” the university officials said, noting that while Dayton does not currently have a budget deficit, the change could better position the future.
Wagner College
New York’s private liberal arts colleges hope to phase out as many as 21 programs to reverse the recent decline in enrollment rates, Staten Island Advance Report.
These changes may affect up to 40 full-time faculty members, according to reports.
Less popular academic courses (including anthropology, chemistry, English, history, mathematics, modern languages, sociology, philosophy and physics) are possible for people. Officials told the newspaper that the process will be completed within the next 12 to 18 months.
Kent State University
Ohio’s public universities will eliminate up to 30 administrative positions and nine majors, as part of a phased academic restructuring approved by the board last month, WKYC reported. Kent State University will also shrink from 10 to 9 academic colleges.
The changes are part of a phased plan to be completed in 2028.
The program cites two objectives: “First, strengthen academic affairs through restructuring and re-tuning our academic sectors so that we are more cost-efficient and therefore sustainable, and secondly, to ensure we provide learners with the latest, latest and latest academic programs and the latest and relevant academic programs for our learners,” the Executive Vice President and the announced board of directors said in the announced approval that KENT announced in the announced approval.
Lakeland Community College
Facing a $2 million budget deficit, Ohio’s two-year public colleges will lay off 10 faculty and staff instead of replacing 14 professors who will retire, according to IdeasTream Public Media.
The other eight faculty members who will retire next year will also be unable to replace them.
Between cuts and retirement, Lakeland is expected to save $2.3 million this year and another $800,000 next year. It will reinvest $225,000 from three faculty members in the manufacturing, welding and electrical engineering fields with prioritization of workforce development.
Lakeland also plans to close unspecified low-registration plans.
St. Norbert College
Wisconsin’s private Catholic college announced plans to lay off 27 professors last month and cut more than a dozen plans to address its budget deficit, Wisconsin Public Radio reported.
The cuts will cut the budget deficit of $12 million, an estimated $5 million. Of the 27 affected faculty and staff, 21 will lose their jobs in May, and the remaining six will be released in 2026.
Avette University
Small private agencies in Virginia struggle to deal with financial pressures, announced last month part of cost cuts to cancel 15 jobs Chatham Star-Tribune Report.
also, Cardinal News Averett listed the equestrian centers for sale this week.
The university has been exploring steep financial issues on tough financial issues since last summer when officials discovered financial shortages caused by unauthorized withdrawal of former employees. Although they say there is no evidence of misappropriation of public funds or misuse of funds, poor financial management has prompted Averett to take a series of ongoing measures to determine its financial position.
Oklahoma State University
The consequences continue in Oklahoma, after a recent audit found financial errors there Oklahoma Voice Report.
Affected staff will not receive severance payments but will be hired by June 1.
In February, Oklahoma President Kayse Shrum resigned abruptly during a review of improper transfers of legislative grants. An audit later found that in violation of state laws and policies, the state allocated $41 million “without proper restrictions, co-compiled with other funds in some cases.” In one example, OSU’s Innovation Foundation has directed $11.5 million for other programs without the board approval.
St. Joseph University
Officials offered acquisitions to some faculty members last month Philadelphia Inquirer Report.
St. Joseph absorbed the University of Science in 2022 and added the Pennsylvania College of Health Sciences in 2023, a school official told the newspaper that it left a “small deficit.” President Cheryl McConnell did not specify a dollar figure in the interview Inquirer.
She added that there is no specific acquisition target number, but when asked about potential layoffs, McConnell said it “depending on the nature of the voluntary separation plan.”
University of Utah
Voluntary acquisitions on the dining table, layoffs could be on the horizon of public universities, and have since cut $17.3 million in budget from the state legislature, Cache Valley Daily Report.
Those cuts spread over two years, with the university hitting $12.5 million this year. However, USU can restore that money through the state’s strategic reinvestment initiative, which allows universities to regain funds if leaders can identify areas of cuts and transfer resources to state-favored strategic initiatives.
Weber State University
Elsewhere in Utah, Weber is also working to address the budget imposed by the state.
The budget is expected to be cut by $6.7 million due to the same strategic restructuring plan, Weber also provides voluntary separation incentives to employees. Deseret News Report. The university also plans to reorganize some academic programs, including the School of Education.
Utah’s budget changes will also affect six other state agencies, but not all have the plan publicly disclosed.
