Baldwin Wallace University is rolling out yet another round of academic cuts, a move that will phase out about 35 programs and eliminate roughly 10 faculty positions. Approved after a May 8 board meeting, the plan targets 28 undergraduate majors and minors along with seven graduate programs. Students and faculty tied to programs ranging from music theory to physics and sustainability now face wind-downs and teach-out schedules. University leaders say the cuts are a tough but necessary step to steady the small Berea school’s finances.
President Lee Fisher outlined the changes and the board’s decision in a letter to faculty and staff, according to Cleveland Scene. That reporting notes the moves are aimed at balancing the university’s budget and that programs will be phased out rather than shuttered overnight. It also states that ten faculty members will lose their jobs as part of this round.
Programs on the chopping block
"The decision to slash those programs...was made only after extensive review and thoughtful consideration," Fisher wrote in the letter, as reported by Cleveland Scene. On the list to be wound down are health education, economics, human resources, international business, mild/moderate educational needs, music theory, physics, sociology and sustainability. These programs will not take on new students, while current majors will receive teach-out plans. Departments and advisers now have the delicate task of plotting out remaining requirements so affected students can finish their degrees.
A decade of financial strain
BW’s leadership frames the cuts as part of a long, grinding effort to fix the books after years of enrollment decline and budget shortfalls. Earlier restructuring in 2024 had already trimmed programs and staff. Higher Ed Dive reported that the university has been staring down multimillion-dollar deficits and turned to buyouts and layoffs as enrollment slipped. Administrators argue that consolidating low-enrollment majors and thinning out administrative layers is the only way to keep the campus viable.
Campus reaction and Cleveland ties
Students and nearby residents are paying close attention. Baldwin Wallace supplies a steady stream of graduates to local schools, arts organizations and health providers, and shrinking program lines could send ripples through those hiring pipelines. Local outlets had already highlighted similar concerns around earlier reductions. Coverage of an earlier round of cuts detailed how last year’s changes rattled the community. Alumni and some faculty now worry that the cumulative effect of repeated trims will only make student recruitment and local partnerships tougher to maintain.
What comes next
Administrators say more specifics on teach-outs, timelines and advising support will roll out in the coming weeks as they finalize the 2026-27 budget, with the board overseeing how the plan is put into practice. State higher education watchers note that many Midwest campuses are wrestling with shrinking class sizes and are increasingly forced to prioritize programs that draw consistent demand. For now, affected students and faculty are being steered to academic advisers and transitional resources while the university finishes its review and starts to put this latest round of cuts into motion.
