Fifteen untenured faculty members were notified that they would not be teaching at Ashland University for the 2015-16 academic year. The cuts have been made across all four academic colleges.

Interim President Dr. William Crothers said that in addition to these cuts, some vacant positions have been eliminated and retirements are coming as well. However, he said, the retirements are unpredictable.

Crothers said that if anyone else in the institution decides to leave, their position will not automatically be replaced. Rather, the positions will be evaluated, and analyzed to see if the university can operate without it. He said that no more cuts would be made this year.

As part of a major financial project, AU is taking part in an overall academic prioritization of departments as well as restructuring the budget to try and eliminate the deficit.

Crothers said the faculty cuts were operational decisions, arguing that over time, the university has hired too many people. Crothers said the reductions, which come with savings of about $1.7 million, equal 1 percent of the operational budget. Assuming the university’s budget is still in the range of about $130 million as it was in 2012-13, that $1.7 million would equal about 1.3 percent of the overall budget.

 “We looked carefully at the financial productivity of various departments and faculty,” Crothers said in terms of the criteria of the cutting process. “We spent time analyzing data… that informed us where we needed to cut but not who.” 

The process of deciding who was cut was a collaborative effort between the interim president, provost, administrators, and the deans of academic colleges.

Essentially, a plan was made in terms of student credit hour generated departments. After analyzing numbers within departments, these numerical targets for faculty reduction were given to college deans. With the recommendations of the team of Trustees and individuals like Crothers and Fiore, the deans revised those recommendations on what they knew about the individuals and plans for the departments.

Crothers also stated that the academic prioritization is a “whole other exercise” and did not have influence on the non-renewing of 15 faculty contacts.

“It’s all strategic,” says Crothers. “We are not cutting the budget when we do the prioritization, we are simply reallocating money… whereas I am cutting the budget and getting us back to a solid financial state.”

Though AU is not saving money this year, these faculty cuts are said to help balance the budget for the next academic year.

According to Crothers, two reductions have been made since his arrival including a $2.1 million budgeting reduction in the areas of travel, hospitality, and supplies as well as a reduction by the cutting of six staff positions that the university is choosing not to refill.

The $1.7 million saved in cuts and retirements, creates financial flexibility that will “move us away from the edge” and help fund new expenses according to Crothers.

Being an institution heavily dependent on tuition, keeping up enrollment is one of the major goals. 

“We have allocated additional money for marketing…added one admissions counselor… to grow the traditional student population,” said Crothers.

Crothers said this early notification would help in the job search process for faculty who have been cut.