UNK eliminating six faculty positions as enrollment declines
The University of Nebraska at Kearney is eliminating six faculty positions as part of a strategy to stay within its budget goals.
By News Channel NebraskaKEARNEY, Neb. — The University of Nebraska at Kearney is eliminating six faculty positions as part of a strategy to stay within its budget goals.
Chancellor Doug Kristensen made the announcement to campus on Tuesday. All six job cuts will happen within the College of Arts and Sciences, which is the university’s largest college. A news release says four people will be terminated in May 2024 but have been notified now. Two other unfilled faculty lines are being eliminated.
In an email to the campus community, Kristensen cited a declining student population for the cuts.
“We value the people who deliver on the educational promise of the institution," Kristensen said. "But UNK is not immune from long-term trends in higher-education enrollment, and sustaining the size of our faculty is no longer feasible.”
UNK’s enrollment has steadily declined since reaching its 21st century peak in 2012. The school reported a 3.7% drop to 6,041 students this year, which is about 1,100 fewer students than in 2012.
The rest of the University of Nebraska system also saw an enrollment decrease and many other colleges and universities are experiencing similar declines. In response to trends in 2020, UNK formed a Faculty Advisory Committee to recommend metrics to help administration evaluate instructional staffing.
“That group provided a memo to me in February 2021, which identified metrics such as student credit hour production, number of majors, and number of graduates from the program," Kristensen said. "We held two open campus meetings to explain the need and the process for reviewing instructional staffing loads.”
The two-year review process culminated in the six faculty cuts. The people in the positions were notified on Tuesday.