UW-Stevens Point tackles budget concerns, hopes to avoid job cuts

Between 60 and 70 UW-Stevens Point faculty are at risk of losing their jobs following decreased enrollment and continuous efforts to tackle $2.5 billion budget cuts.

In a letter to the current and incoming chairs of UW-Stevens Point’s Common Council, Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Greg Summers revealed their effort to combat financial challenges which could lead to job losses.

According to Summers, the decision to cut jobs has not been finalized, but is on the table for discussion.

“The simple story is that five years ago, we were a campus of around 9,600 and as of this morning we are a campus of 7,724 students,” Summers said. “Whenever you see an enrollment decline of that nature and you don’t adjust your spending, you are going to run into fiscal challenges.”

Earlier this week, UW-Stevens Point revealed a seven percent decrease in enrollment from last year. This, combined with the prospective cut of humanities majors, may have influenced the decision to cut the positions.

With each passing academic year that enrollment shrinks, it only increases Summers’ worry.

“It’s a single factor that lead to our financial restraints,” Summers said. “We’re in the sixth year of a tuition freeze, which is a good thing for students, but it’s meant that our revenue has stayed pretty flat and we haven’t had the opportunity to find new resources from tuition.”

Prior to this year, UW-Stevens Point made more money than it spent, resulting in a surplus. But, due to less money being readily available, they were unable to allocate the same funds to maintain a balanced budget.

“I’ve been concerned about this for years,” Summers said. “I’ve been very worried about the campus’ need to adjust to, what I saw, as a new demographic in fiscal reality for higher education in central Wisconsin.”

Summers had one meeting with an budget advisory group on the budget, but plans to have more meetings in coming weeks to decide where they should make cuts. He is hoping they will reach a final decision by the middle of October.