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 ComeMarquette 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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