College Layoffs

[G5052]

A consideration for those looking at colleges now and those of us with kids in college.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2020/11/17/higher-ed-job-loss/

Mine are home, 100% online. They drastically cut back operations at the placement office, and my graduating senior has largely been on his own for job hunting. My younger one has a job with the college writing center that seamlessly moved online. Otherwise we haven't observed any changes.

I'm an adjunct at a different college with higher priority than many because I have 20+ years in the state system. Before the pandemic, they were routinely giving me full load without crossing the ACA line, usually 4-5 classes during the school year and three in the summer. No benefits. They told me in April that I likely would have nothing during the summer, and then I ended up with three. Then they said in July that the majority of the adjuncts would have nothing in the fall, and I ended up with four classes. The majority of the adjuncts I've been teaching with over the last few years are not on the schedule. So I just peeked, and I have three in the spring. We have a department meeting Friday, and I'm guessing that they're going to be talking about the budget.

So interesting times!

 

[Miguelsmom]

I couldn't read the article. My son's University is closing down some full colleges, combining schools, slashing ~37 mil from their budget. My son is 100% online and home for his full degree. I'm worried they'll cut his program so I'm watching this closely. It sucks this took away his chance to have a college experience but I'm hoping they let their juniors finish their degrees. I'm worried about what this means for education in the future. Their plan will be released by the end of the week and I'm concerned both for the students and teachers.

 

[katilac]

On 11/17/2020 at 6:48 PM, Miguelsmom said:

I couldn't read the article. My son's University is closing down some full colleges, combining schools, slashing ~37 mil from their budget. My son is 100% online and home for his full degree. I'm worried they'll cut his program so I'm watching this closely. It sucks this took away his chance to have a college experience but I'm hoping they let their juniors finish their degrees. I'm worried about what this means for education in the future. Their plan will be released by the end of the week and I'm concerned both for the students and teachers.

 

I'm sorry. I remember how much thought you guys put into his college plans. 

Hopefully, they release a solid plan. I'm sure they will juniors to be able to finish. 

Let us know!

[Forgiven]

This is definitely something to think about. My daughter was accepted to a school a few weeks ago, into their theater department. A week after her acceptance, I found out online (not from the school, but from someone else in theater in the same area) that this school had decided to get rid of their theater department. The very next day, my daughter received an email from the school that they will no longer have the major for which she was admitted for, but they still wanted her as an undecided major. We took a few days to talk it over and then officially declined the offer. 😞 

With Covid and the strange 2020 we've had. This is something we all have to look into more. 😞

 

Angie

[AEC]

14 minutes ago, Forgiven said:

I found out online (not from the school, but from someone else in theater in the same area) that this school had decided to get rid of their theater department.

which school?

[teachermom2834]

My ds school announced they are closing the college of education. My ds isn't an education major so I haven't stayed up on the details but it sounded like sophomores and up that had already declared as their major would be ok but freshman would not be able to major in education. Imagine going to college as a freshman in 2020 and all the challenges and disappointments only to have your major eliminated. Tough break. Also, some high school seniors had applied for admission intending to major in education and didn't apply anywhere else and now they are left scrambling. It isn't as if education was a small or obscure major. 😞

I made my current senior apply to more than one college even though he knows where he wants to go and he will get in with an automatic scholarship. I've learned from my older guys that you never know what might come up that you need to change direction. But I hadn't even really thought much about big majors just being eliminated.

[daijobu]

5 hours ago, Forgiven said:

This is definitely something to think about. My daughter was accepted to a school a few weeks ago, into their theater department. A week after her acceptance, I found out online (not from the school, but from someone else in theater in the same area) that this school had decided to get rid of their theater department. The very next day, my daughter received an email from the school that they will no longer have the major for which she was admitted for, but they still wanted her as an undecided major. We took a few days to talk it over and then officially declined the offer. 😞 

 

This is a good heads up for all applicants.  I'm glad your dd could change her school before any deadlines.  

[elegantlion]

Yes, I would encourage any students to really check the viability of a university & department before enrolling or transferring. 

My undergraduate university filed financial exigency in the spring. It was unrelated to covid, but they get to hide behind this pandemic, which ticks me off in words I cannot type on this board. They fired 1/3 of their faculty with non-tenured professors being released with a month notice and tenured faculty getting a final one year contract for the 20/21 school year. Tenure was not a saving grace for any professor, in what it may have worked against them because they cost more. 

Besides that the university "restructured" and eliminated dozens of majors/minors including most anything humanities related, leaving it basically a poly-technic not a liberal arts university. They are having to develop teach out plans for exisiting majors/minors to make sure they can graduate in the next now 2 1/2 years. They will have to do course substitutions as some of the required classes will no longer be taught because they've fired the faculty whose expertise that field was. 

Now they're wondering why enrollment is down and enrollment for spring is lagging. Covid certainly has contributed to lower enrollment, but they gutted this institution - no wonder parents and students are having second thoughts about attending here. I love my undergraduate experience, but I certainly wouldn't recommend it anyone now. *steps off soapbox*

 

My current university is looking closely at where to cut costs and I'm glad I only need two more semesters of coursework otherwise I might not be able to get the classes I need for my field. 

[daijobu]

22 hours ago, elegantlion said:

My undergraduate university filed financial exigency in the spring.  

Would you mind sharing which university this is?  I can't believe they are letting tenured faculty go.  

ETA:  What I mean is, I believe you, I'm just surprised.  

Edited December 4, 2020 by daijobu

[BusyMom5]

How do you find out that this could happen?

[elegantlion]

12 hours ago, daijobu said:

Would you mind sharing which university this is?  I can't believe they are letting tenured faculty go.  

ETA:  What I mean is, I believe you, I'm just surprised.  

Here's an article from Inside Higher Ed. What it doesn't outright say is that those given a terminal contract were all tenured - not just tenure track - professors. Those retiring are those that are financially able to do so, no buyout was offered. I know several faculty who were let go that are too young to retire and will have a challenge finding other academic positions because they are over the age of 45. The faculty cuts were closer to a 1/3. 

There is a lot of nuance to the situation that the article cannot address. Also, Wilson, the new President left in the spring after one year, despite saying he was dedicated to helping the university recover. 

A few months later the University of Akron also filed financial exigency, ironically the same university where president Wilson had served before coming to MWSU. 

 

[tanotshaun]

On 12/4/2020 at 6:04 PM, elegantlion said:

Here's an article from Inside Higher Ed. What it doesn't outright say is that those given a terminal contract were all tenured - not just tenure track - professors. Those retiring are those that are financially able to do so, no buyout was offered. I know several faculty who were let go that are too young to retire and will have a challenge finding other academic positions because they are over the age of 45. The faculty cuts were closer to a 1/3. 

There is a lot of nuance to the situation that the article cannot address. Authors from  https://gradesfixer.com/free-essay-examples/a-personal-experience-of-doing-community-service-2/ write about this in more detail in their essays.Also, Wilson, the new President left in the spring after one year, despite saying he was dedicated to helping the university recover. 

A few months later the University of Akron also filed financial exigency, ironically the same university where president Wilson had served before coming to MWSU. 

 

Tell me where you got all this information? I am writing to the student newspaper. If there were more materials, I would write an article for our university. 

Edited March 30, 2021 by tanotshaun

[MamaSprout]

3 hours ago, tanotshaun said:

Tell me where you got all this information? I am writing to the student newspaper. If there were more materials, I would write an article for our university. 

https://www.insidehighered.com/

A lot of universities purchase access to Chronicle of Higher Ed. Try going in through your school's library portal: https://www.chronicle.com/

[elegantlion]

4 hours ago, tanotshaun said:

Tell me where you got all this information? I am writing to the student newspaper. If there were more materials, I would write an article for our university. 

 

57 minutes ago, MamaSprout said:

https://www.insidehighered.com/

A lot of universities purchase access to Chronicle of Higher Ed. Try going in through your school's library portal: https://www.chronicle.com/

Yes, use the Chronicle articles, as for the other information I put, that was for this board only. If you want to look at the demise of higher ed in the Covid era, there are a number of universities facing similar situations. You would need to reach out to those universities. 

[Sebastian (a lady)]

On 3/19/2021 at 5:53 AM, tanotshaun said:

Tell me where you got all this information? I am writing to the student newspaper. If there were more materials, I would write an article for our university. 

Forbes and Hechinger Report also do good higher education reporting. 

[Sebastian (a lady)]

So far as people feel comfortable, it would be helpful to include links to articles that name the names of colleges you know are cutting programs.