Campus Cuts Appear to Slow in August

With the fall semester rapidly approaching or already underway at many campuses across the nation, August appeared to yield cuts at fewer institutions than the earlier summer months. But of the handful of colleges that announced recent or looming cuts last month, some were far-reaching. They affect a number of large public universities as well as a few smaller, private ones.

Here’s a look at layoffs announced or finalized in August.

Western Illinois University

WIU enacted some of the steepest cuts of any higher ed institution this year, eliminating 89 employees, including the entire library faculty.

Officials pointed to a $22 million budget deficit, brought on by rising operational costs, and a 21 percent enrollment drop since fall 2019 as the reasons for the layoffs. The public university enrolled 7,073 total students last fall, according to figures on WIU’s website.

In all, 57 faculty members and 32 staffers were laid off. Among the faculty members to lose their jobs, 40 were tenured or on the tenure track, according to a Tri States Public Radio breakdown.

Western Illinois administrators also announced the elimination of 100 vacant positions from future budgets—including two vice president posts—among other cost-cutting measures.

Cleveland State University

More than 50 faculty members and staffers took buyouts as Cleveland State seeks to lower operating costs to counter declining enrollment, Ideastream Public Media reported.

The buyouts come amid a projected $40 million budget deficit at the university.

In all, 27 faculty and 27 staff members accepted buyouts last month as part of the cost-cutting efforts. More employees could opt in to the buyout program before it closes in December.

Another 14 employees were laid off, Signal Cleveland reported.

University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee

The Wisconsin Board of Regents voted last month to cut nearly three dozen tenured faculty jobs as part of the closure of UW-Milwaukee’s College of General Studies.

In all, 32 tenured faculty members will lose their jobs. The vote marked the first time regents used a 2016 policy that weakened tenure protections to lay off faculty members en masse, prompting protests and concerns about the possibility of more sweeping layoffs.

The move comes in the wake of declining enrollment and campus closures in the UW system as Wisconsin deals with a challenging demographic outlook. While the regents voted overwhelmingly to approve the measure, several expressed regret at the move, blaming it on financial challenges stemming from enrollment issues and a lack of state funding.

Frostburg State University

Staring down a $7.7 million budget deficit, the public university in Maryland has announced a multiyear plan to cut costs, which will include phased layoffs over the next two years.

Officials plan to cut 30 faculty jobs by fall 2025 and another 15 jobs by spring 2026.

A spokesperson told Inside Higher Ed that the initial reduction will include full and part-time non-tenure-track faculty, adjuncts and tenure-track faculty with less than two years of service.

“By the start of the Spring 2026 semester, we have a target to reduce faculty by an additional 15 positions, which may include tenure-track and tenured faculty with more than 2 years of service,” the spokesperson wrote. “Of these targeted reductions, they are only faculty appointments, not staff.”

Stanford University

Programmatic changes rather than budget issues are driving cuts at Stanford, one of the wealthiest institutions in the nation. Within the next two years, 23 lecturers are expected to lose their jobs as administrators rethink a fellowship program and shorten appointments.

Stanford announced recently that it will revamp its creative writing program, shortening the Jones Lectureships to one-year appointments with an option to extend for a maximum of four more years.

While the positions will not be eliminated from the budget, almost two dozen lecturers—some of whom have taught there for more than a decade—expect to lose their jobs amid restructuring.

Emerson College

Administrators have laid off 10 employees, citing an anticipated enrollment decline stemming in part from the fallout of campus demonstrations and arrests related to the war between Israel and Hamas, The Boston Globe reported. Emerson officials had announced in July that some layoffs were likely.

Like many campuses across the country, the college in downtown Boston was roiled by protests in the spring; students and others took to the streets, calling for an end to the civilian casualties in Gaza. Local media reported that more than 100 people were arrested following a violent clash between demonstrators and police, with injuries on both sides.

Emerson officials declined to provide fall enrollment figures to Inside Higher Ed, saying the college would not know final numbers for the incoming class until the fall semester begins. The first day of classes is Wednesday.

University of California, Santa Cruz

A staggering $107 million budget deficit is expected to drive layoffs at UC Santa Cruz, though officials have not released details on the number of likely cuts, Lookout Santa Cruz reported.

“Campus leaders are moving forward with the necessary actions to implement the FY25 budget, requiring us to reduce some staffing levels,” Chancellor Cynthia Lariva wrote in a message to the campus community. “While most staff reductions are being made through attrition and by not filling currently open positions, some currently filled positions are being eliminated, resulting in layoffs. Those decisions are extremely difficult and are being made only after extensive consideration.”

California College of the Arts

Grappling with a $20 million budget deficit and declining enrollment, the small Bay Area art and design college is seeking a merger and weighing possible layoffs, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.

“Our financial challenges are not insignificant, which means that we are being called to right-size the organization and address what has become a sizable to a major deficit,” CCA president David Howse said in a memo obtained by the newspaper. “This is a movement that is beyond CCA, to think about efficiencies, alignment and streamlining to create organizational efficiency.”

Howse also said the college will launch an academic portfolio review of CCA’s current offerings.

The college projected enrollment of 1,250 students this fall, according to the newspaper—a steep drop from fall 2014, when federal data show the college enrolled just under 2,000 students.

Minnesota State University Moorhead

Buyouts are coming to MSUM, and a small number of layoffs could follow as officials try to balance the budget, the local newspaper, The Forum, reported.

President Tim Downs said a maximum of six faculty members could be laid off, though cuts may not be necessary depending on the number of employees who accept voluntary retirement packages, according to the newspaper.