Staff writer Vince Clay contributed reporting to this article.

It’s been nearly a month since Elizabethtown College announced they would make faculty cuts, blindsiding students and many faculty members. After speculation across the campus, cuts were finally released on Oct. 3 and Oct. 4, eliminating three majors and 13 faculty members.

“Not only has my major been pulled out from under me but so has my mentor and advisor of almost three years. The prioritization of STEM over arts and humanities by this institution not only alienates students but also their educators,” Junior Spanish Education Major Marie Crugnale said. “I’ll be graduating with a diploma in a major that no longer exists, and to me, that feels as if I’ve wasted my time and money attending an institution that does not prioritize me.”

Student Assembly held a meeting on Thursday at 4 p.m. for impacted students, featuring a presentation from Interim Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Matt Telleen. Telleen said that the College used a rubric created by the Senior Leadership team to determine which faculty members were cut. The rubric used a ratio of the number of declared primary majors, excluding first-years, to the number of full-time faculty members. That number drove decisions related to program elimination, program education and decisions relating to untenured faculty contract renewal.

Telleen said projected deficits to the College would have been $5.8 milliion in 2027, $8 million in 2028 and $9.3 million in 2029.  While the College did break even last year, ProPublica’s nonprofit explorer says Etown’s faced a deficit of more than $14 million in 2023 and a deficit of more than $5 million in 2022.

Citing changes in healthcare costs and inflation, Telleen said good admissions are not enough on their own to carry the budget.

“We decided the most important factor was the degrees our students are currently working on,” Telleen said.

Telleen also told students at the meeting that bond holders at the college have some control over what happens to the money because they are holding borrowed money. He was hopeful that cuts of this type will not be seen again across the campus community because of slight changes the College administration has made prior to taking faculty cuts.

An email update sent to the campus community informed students and faculty that faculty weren’t the only ones to go. The Sociology major and minor, the Spanish and Spanish education major and the Fine Arts major will no longer be offered at Etown starting next year, although students currently enrolled may finish their program. 

Thirteen faculty members were cut, had no common ground in regards to tenure, achievements or age. They will end their time at Etown in May 2025.

Professor of Spanish Charla Lorenzen was one of the affected faculty, after leaving Austin, Texas 18 years ago to take her position at Etown. Lorenzen has never had a poor performance evaluation, she said, and has taught in three programs, Spanish, Education and Physical Education

“We moved away from family and friends and started a new life that has been fabulous in so many ways, but right now I am mourning the loss of what could have been in Austin,” Lorenzen said.

Lorenzen said she felt as though faculty members would be cut for the subjects they teach, instead of their performance, which is why she wasn’t shocked to find that the Spanish program had been cut. However, Lorenzen has an undergraduate degree in psychology and a doctorate in Spanish education as well as holding certifications with Yoga Alliance Continuing Education Providers, so she would have been willing to shift to different courses.

“I am annoyed that no one worked with me to find an alternative to just letting me go,” Lorenzen said. “But I don’t want to stay with an institution that wasn’t willing to fight for me.”

Professor of Sociology Michele Kozimor confirmed on Facebook that she was impacted by the cuts. Kozimor is an alumna of Etown, and in a public Facebook post said she returned as faculty determined to pay the academic community she experienced as a student forward.

“Together, the students, alumni, my colleagues and I reached heights that I only dreamed possible for a small liberal arts program,” Kozimor’s statement said. “Over my 21 years [as faculty], Etown sociology grew its reputation.”

Kozimor’s statement continued, saying she was confident that if given the chance, she ould have revitalized the sociology program,  which won several awards during her time as faculty.

Students are trying to create change regarding this decision through speaking out. One student, Julia Yudichak, a senior early education major, made a change.org petition on Oct 7. to keep Associate Professor of Music Anne Gross at Etown, which amassed over 500 signatures from students and alumni alike within 24 hours.

Even with these efforts, students, especially those in the majors impacted, have had a variety of feelings during this time.

“The faculty they’ve decided to be not as valuable as others are the professors which have had the biggest impact on students on this campus and genuinely invest the most time and effort into not only the academic success of their students but also their general wellbeing,” Senior Fine Arts Major Gienah Somnnema said. “In the wake of this decision, I find no pride in being a Blue Jay.”

The news has also impacted alumni’s perception of Etown.

“These funding cuts are destroying the culture that Elizabethtown has worked so hard to create,” Sociology Alumna Rachel Carolyn Iole said. “Who wants to go back when all the favorite professors that have been there for years aren’t there anymore? I know I will not.” 

Many of the cut faculty members had worked at the college for decades and had achieved tenure, a title that historically protects professors from getting laid off or fired. At least two full professors, who had tenure, were impacted by the cuts.

Another important distinction is the age of professors. When Penn State had to cut faculty at their Commonwealth Campuses, including Penn State Harrisburg, due to budget deficits, they offered buyouts. Faculty who chose to resign got paid one year’s salary and six months of health insurance. Etown did not publicly offer any buyouts to faculty.

Impacted students are encouraged to seek out counseling services for support.