Christian Brothers University announces multiple faculty cuts, eliminates a dozen programs
Christian Brothers University announced major faculty layoffs and program cuts Friday.
In a statement on CBU's website, the private university said that 28 faculty positions would be eliminated by the end of the 2023-24 academic year. Three of those positions are already open, and eight of them are positions in which the faculty member was already intending to step down, or the position was temporary.
Nine of the remaining positions are tenured, and eight are not.
Additionally, multiple programs will be permanently cut from CBU's catalogue.
Closed programs will include Chemistry, Cultural Studies, Ecology, Engineering Physics, English, History, History Education, Liberal Studies, Physics, Politics and Law, and Political Science; as well as Master of Education. Art Therapy and Philosophy concentrations will also be cut.
Although a dozen programs are being shut down, CBU said the closures will only effect 15 out of approximately 920 students.
These cuts are part of a restructuring of the university's finances announced in September. With undergraduate enrollment on a constant decline since the 2018-19 school year, and a failure to meet first-time freshman enrollment goals this fall, CBU is projected to face a deficit of $5-7 million by the end of 2024.
As a result, CBU's Board of Trustees’ mandated a $4 million reduction in salaries, wages and benefits.
“Decisions like these are the most agonizing a school can make,” said CBU President Dave Archer in the statement.
“I’m proud of how the CBU community worked swiftly and methodically to put us on a solid foundation to carry out our important mission, long-term.”
The faculty and program cuts are the second part of CBU's bid to cut operating costs. Last October, the University announced cuts at the administrative level, which it says will result in a "streamlining of the organization overall." Multiple employees in administrative roles received new or altered responsibilities, resulting in an initial $1 million cut. This included the elimination of three vice president positions, and four of the five remaining positions were renamed or reassigned.
By the end of the cuts, 41 undergraduate majors and 11 graduate programs will remain at CBU, and President Archer said the university remains committed to supporting those programs and the students enrolled in them.
"As a result of this process, we will re-center resources on our vision," he said, "to be student-ready, God-centered, and Memphis-focused to prepare CBU for the future."
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: CBU announces multiple faculty cuts, eliminates a dozen programs
