Marquette University Cutting Staff to Close Budget Deficit Caused by COVID
“part of a yearlong effort to close a $45 million budget deficit”
Almost 40 staffers have already been laid off and people fear there will be more to come.
Wisconsin Public Radio reports:
Marquette University Laid Off 39 In January. Staff And Students Fear More Cuts Are To Come
Marquette University laid off 39 staff members last month as part of a yearlong effort to close a $45 million budget deficit brought on by COVID-19 financial losses including a drop in enrollment.
The budget-cutting process has sparked fear on campus among some students and faculty who worry the university is moving away from its liberal arts education and Jesuit mission.
On Sept. 28, Marquette administrators held a virtual town hall to discuss the financial state of the university. Senior Vice President and COO Joel Pogodzinski shared sobering news: university administration is expecting upwards of 300 faculty and staff reductions in the next two years.
Marquette’s 2020 freshman class was the smallest it has been since 1997, which — along with unexpected losses from the pandemic — meant there was an immediate budget deficit of $45 million. By 2024, Pogodzinski anticipates that deficit could grow to as much as $65 million.
The faculty and staff reductions cited by Pogodzinski sent shock waves through the campus community.
In October, then-student Brooke McArdle organized a student sit-in to protest staff cuts. She recently told WPR there was an expectation that humanities programs would bear the brunt of the cuts.
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Comments
It’s obvious that Brooke didn’t study finance or economics.
You are mistaken if you think you have to know what you are talking about to protest. Most protestors are absolutely ignorant on the subjects they are protesting. That’s why they have so much fun. Thinking and knowing hurts. Physically.
Logically, they should start cutting expenses by looking at all the most highly paid people (primarily administrators) and laying off the ones they can do without. Anyone whose title includes a grievance or any asst Dean or asst VP would be a likely candidate. Then they should reduce the salaries of anyone who receives over $200K.
But they usually do the opposite. Rather than lay off the VP of Diversity, they will lay off 5 non-tenure-track people who actually teach classes. Rather than reduce the President’s $869K salary (2018 figure) to $300K, they will lay off another 10 NTT faculty members.
In a financial crunch, I think the Pres should be able to scrape by on a paltry $300K per year.
Indeed. Obvious targets for defunding should be the Marquette Office of Diversity and Inclusion as well as all of the “studies” departments. Abolition of these organizations alone would save millions.
Will Marquette do it? Nahhhhhh……