Editor’s note: The Etownian chose to grant anonymity to all sources due to the sensitive subject matter. This story was updated to include the fact that the meeting took place over Zoom due to COVID-19 protocol.
A faculty assembly meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 24 announced faculty cuts and a five-year deadline for Elizabethtown College to sort out its finances before it faces a budget deficit of millions of dollars, sources present on the call said.
The meeting took place over Zoom, although meetings are typically in-person. An email sent to all faculty members prior to the meeting cited COVID-19 protocol. On the call, Provost & Vice President for Academic Affairs Matthew Telleen informed faculty that cuts will happen across departments, and said the projected debt will only be incurred if no changes are made to the budget. The budget is currently balanced and the administration is actively working towards changes, sources said.
No faculty members are safe from the cuts.
The College will be using a criteria system, similar to a rubric, to decide which faculty will be let go. Tenured faculty are not protected, sources said. An early October meeting of Etown’s Personnel Council faculty subcommittee will have more details of the criteria used. After that, faculty who have not met certain criteria will receive notice of their termination, although sources were under the impression that faculty would not be asked to leave until the end of the academic year.
In a statement to The Etownian, Telleen said he is working with President Betty Rider to go through the proper channels and processes outlined in the Faculty Handbook. He also noted that he and Rider will be working with the Personnel Council not only on criteria, but on any strategic recommendations they offer from a faculty perspective.
“Since August, we have been communicating with employees about the transformational landscape of higher education and its impact on Elizabethtown College’s path to financial well-being and sustainability,” Telleen said in his statement. “In the interest of transparency and out of respect for the faculty, at the most recent Faculty Assembly meeting I confirmed that, as we are looking forward to the College’s five-year plan, there will need to be a reduction in academic programs which will result in fewer full-time faculty.”
There is not a confirmed percentage or number of faculty who will be impacted by the cuts until after the Personnel Council meets and a plan is finalized, Telleen’s statement said. Etown faculty and staff are not unionized.
The content of the faculty assembly meeting came as a blow to some faculty members, although sources said they have hope for the future and commended the administration for their transparency. Faculty at the meeting questioned why cuts weren’t being taken in other areas, but Telleen told faculty on the Zoom that every other office and service on campus has made cuts, sources said.
One source said they are not concerned about the College and felt as though Rider and Telleen have Etown on the right path, expressing gratitude for the meeting. Multiple sources said budgeting problems reach across higher education and that they understand changes need to be made.
“It is important to recognize that we have been formulating a strategy from a position of relative strength to continue to be proactive for the future of the institution and our students,” Telleen said in his statement.
Last year, 14 higher education institutions closed their doors, Inside Higher Ed reported. Many were similar in size to Etown and cited low enrollment for their closures. However, Etown has reported high enrollment, with larger-than-average incoming classes over the last four years.
Many sources noted that they think it’s a good thing that the College is facing their issues head on instead of burying problems.
In 2019, Etown cut its theater and philosophy majors and implemented several staff cuts in an effort to balance the institution’s budget. Since Elizabethtown College is a private institution, its board meetings are not public and no information about the budget is available.
The Etownian will be following the process as faculty cuts are made.
How did The Etownian confirm the information in this story?
The Etownian was contacted by a concerned source, and heard feedback from several students. Reporters worked to confirm information with multiple sources who were on the Zoom call and reached out to Provost & Vice President for Academic Affairs Matthew Telleen and the Office of Marketing and Communications for comment and confirmation.
