Amid ongoing financial tumult, Saint Louis University announced the elimination of 23 staff positions as a part of larger cost-cutting measures that seeks to alleviate a $20 million budget shortfall in the current fiscal year, the move was outlined in a communication to the university community on Friday, a university spokesperson confided to FOX 2. The layoffs spanned six administrative divisions and two schools, and in addition to this immediate reduction, the university is also freezing over 130 vacancies, of which 30 are teaching roles, SLU President Fred Pestello clarified in an email obtained by St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
The layoffs highlight ongoing issues in higher education, such as rising costs and changing enrollment numbers. Some schools, like Fontbonne University, are closing next year, and others like Lindenwood and Webster Universities have also made cuts. Even with a $1.8 billion endowment and a strong student population, SLU is feeling the pressure from a recent drop in international students, mainly due to fewer visas issued by U.S. consulates, as noted by President Pestello. The budgetary rebalance stipulated a projected 4% reduction in expenses to maintain financial viability, Pestello's sentiments about the layoffs, painful as they are, and his earlier predictions, were reported by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch in their coverage of the university's fiscal strategies.
On the heels of the layoff announcements, SLU Provost Mike Lewis disclosed the prospect of additional austerity with $40 million more expected to be cut over the following two years, a figure that denotes the gravity and extent of the university's fiscal restraints, as reported by a faculty town hall meeting on last Thursday. In that same meeting, Lewis expressed concern about informing affected individuals, stating, "The leaders of those areas are still in the process today of meeting with their people, so I really don’t want people to find out through the UNews," Unews reported.
Amid the cuts, individuals affected by the layoffs have been voicing their reactions, Michelle Peltier, a former staff member in the Student Involvement Center lamented the personal impact of her job loss she affirmed that though university officials reassured the departures were unrelated to job performance it still struck a chord with how much her identity was intertwined with her role at SLU, her story and reactions were captured by Unews.
