Author Topic: Higher ed layoffs? (Read 18467 times)

Rural · « **Reply #100 on:** July 06, 2020, 11:14:35 PM »

All our NTT full -time lecturers were laid off last week.

Pensions are funded (and are totally separate from our TIAA accounts, which are 403(b)). That's a state mandate, at least for the moment.

Spiffy · « **Reply #101 on:** July 07, 2020, 08:30:08 AM »

Quote from: Rural on July 06, 2020, 11:14:35 PM

All our NTT full -time lecturers were laid off last week.

Pensions are funded (and are totally separate from our TIAA accounts, which are 403(b)). That's a state mandate, at least for the moment.

Holy S**t! All of them? How many was that? My husband is a full time Senior Lecturer at a private religious university. So far no layoffs for any faculty, but they will probably start staff layoffs soon.

historienne · « **Reply #102 on:** July 08, 2020, 09:31:45 AM »

I'm at a private R1 with a major teaching hospital. 403b contributions have been suspended and there will be furloughs for administrative staff at all levels, with a higher % for higher-paid staff. So far no furloughs for teaching or clinical staff. Cuts to all discretionary (non-grant-funded) research and travel expenses. Admin has said that there will be no permanent layoffs, but I wouldn't bet money on that remaining true. We don't usually have a lot of per-course adjuncts, but I'm pretty sure those slots have all been cut.

AmyS · « **Reply #103 on:** July 10, 2020, 08:01:15 PM »

Quote from: Pigeon on July 03, 2020, 07:01:03 PM

Someone sent me this article right after I listened to a Zoom town hall meeting from my institution's administration. It was spot on.
https://www.mcsweeneys.net/articles/a-message-from-your-universitys-vice-president-for-magical-thinking

LOL This is what I needed in my life right now. I'm an Instructor (year-to-year contract, semi-stable, not considered adjunct) at a small university within a state system. Although my position doesn't involve me in committee work, my experience in online teaching has come to the notice of people who form committees, and now I'm on two committees! Both are trying to decipher the various dictates of various levels of administration, come up with flexible plans, and train faculty. The combination of things the administration wants to happen is, IMO, not possible. I appreciate the laugh - thank you!

Rural · « **Reply #104 on:** July 14, 2020, 03:58:00 PM »

Quote from: Spiffy on July 07, 2020, 08:30:08 AM

Quote from: Rural on July 06, 2020, 11:14:35 PM
All our NTT full -time lecturers were laid off last week.

Pensions are funded (and are totally separate from our TIAA accounts, which are 403(b)). That's a state mandate, at least for the moment.
Holy S**t! All of them? How many was that? My husband is a full time Senior Lecturer at a private religious university. So far no layoffs for any faculty, but they will probably start staff layoffs soon.

Every one, about 10-15 people (the vast majority of our faculty is TT or tenured, usually lectures teach freshman and sophomore undergrads only, and usually with a masters degree rather than a doctorate). Also the majority of our TT folks are actually tenured, so hard to lay off/ would have to close departments.

I also learned all our professional advisors are out of a job as of end of August. That's about ten to twelve people. They can interview for one of five positions that will be kept.

If something doesn't change fast, it'll be the tenure track's turn come spring.

MayDay · « **Reply #105 on:** July 16, 2020, 06:37:42 AM »

Akron laid off a LOT of people. ~90 tenured and/or tenure track faculty, and an additional 80 something who maybe volunteered.

A friend of mine was one of the involuntary 90. She moved her whole family to Akron for the supposedly stable TT position and was on track for tenure.

StarBright · « **Reply #106 on:** July 16, 2020, 07:31:58 AM »

Quote from: MayDay on July 16, 2020, 06:37:42 AM

Akron laid off a LOT of people. ~90 tenured and/or tenure track faculty, and an additional 80 something who maybe volunteered.

A friend of mine was one of the involuntary 90. She moved her whole family to Akron for the supposedly stable TT position and was on track for tenure.

ugh - that is scary and hits very close to home for us.

Goldielocks · « **Reply #107 on:** July 16, 2020, 10:14:58 AM »

With the actual layoffs -- do you think these are temporary and that in a year when education is back up with enrollments, that they will be rehiring?

Cranky · « **Reply #108 on:** July 16, 2020, 01:11:15 PM »

Quote from: MayDay on July 16, 2020, 06:37:42 AM

Akron laid off a LOT of people. ~90 tenured and/or tenure track faculty, and an additional 80 something who maybe volunteered.

A friend of mine was one of the involuntary 90. She moved her whole family to Akron for the supposedly stable TT position and was on track for tenure.

Akron has been struggling for a while. They are deeply, deeply in debt. I would not count on any big recovery there.

Tig_ · « **Reply #109 on:** July 16, 2020, 04:42:32 PM »

Saw the Akron news in the NYTimes briefing (but heard it here first!). They linked to this Chronicle of Higher Ed site that is tracking layoffs and furloughs...

https://www.chronicle.com/article/As-Covid-19-Pummels-Budgets/248779

CheapScholar · « **Reply #110 on:** July 18, 2020, 08:02:51 PM »

My wife and I both work in higher ed. I work as a full time program director (and teach one course per year) at multi billion dollar endowment private religious school, and she is dean of students at a local community college.

Supposedly, we are both steadfast and going to reopen in the coming weeks. No layoffs or cuts to benefits for either of us, but my employer was clear that the 403(b) matching is probably gone if we can’t complete the full AY with in person learning and residence hall revenue.

It’s crazy and scary times. I turn 40 this semester. I absolutely love my job, especially my teaching and work with my students. It’s not about the money but I’d be devastated if I lost my job. Interestingly enough, we are about to pay off our mortgage and we are borderline FI.

Another odd possibility of all of this. If I lose my full time job at Elite U, I will absolutely start applying for adjunct teaching gigs at local community colleges. And, hate to sound arrogant, but I’d probably easily get those opportunities over many others because I have 4 degrees, a Fulbright, and some pretty good teaching experience. If there are massive layoffs then the adjunct market is going to get even more competitive.

Cassie · « **Reply #111 on:** July 19, 2020, 12:16:10 PM »

The pay really varies for adjuncts. Some only pay 2500/semester and I won’t teach for that. I also have 4 degrees. Even at the university I teach at the pay varies on the funding sources. I have made as little as 4K and as much as 9k. We are retired but I love teaching one course a semester.

Cranky · « **Reply #112 on:** July 19, 2020, 05:56:47 PM »

I think dh’s university pays $1800/class, and won’t let anyone have enough classes to qualify for benefits.

I could make more $ tutoring. In fact, I think I could make a tidy sum tutoring this year.

Cassie · « **Reply #113 on:** July 20, 2020, 08:57:58 PM »

Cranky, I cannot believe anyone teaches for 1800. Totally ridiculous!

Goldielocks · « **Reply #114 on:** July 20, 2020, 11:30:15 PM »

Quote from: Cranky on July 19, 2020, 05:56:47 PM

I think dh’s university pays $1800/class, and won’t let anyone have enough classes to qualify for benefits.

I could make more $ tutoring. In fact, I think I could make a tidy sum tutoring this year.

According to the formula, Adjuncts at my school working full time (5 classes a term, 40 weeks a year across 3 terms) would make $55k CDN a year. and get full benefits and a pension. The pay is pretty low pay, actually, as TT start at $90k/yr for 4 classes a term x 30 wk/yr plus "admin" time.

StarBright · « **Reply #115 on:** July 21, 2020, 07:21:21 AM »

Quote from: Cassie on July 20, 2020, 08:57:58 PM

Cranky, I cannot believe anyone teaches for 1800. Totally ridiculous!

At one institution DH was paid $1200 per course and to add insult to injury they made him pay for parking! They also had more courses than they had teachers for so they ended up just increasing his class size a few days into the semester. But my understanding was their policy was never to hire people for more than two classes because of benefit thresholds.

But that was in a non-union state. We feel very lucky that he ended up at an institution in a state w/ a good union that also represents adjuncts and NTT folks.

Regarding COVID updates - apparently enrollment and state funding for 20/21 are better than they anticipated so they have rolled back the furloughs and only the top levels of admin are taking paycuts now.

He is being asked to teach face to face but they are limiting the amount of people allowed in rooms or moving classes to larger halls and requiring masks. He is not required to hold in person office hours. Luckily he also teaches several courses to grad students and they are small courses with mature young adults so he isn't worried about those students at all. We are nervous but hopeful for the coming year.

Cranky · « **Reply #116 on:** July 21, 2020, 08:12:36 AM »

The adjuncts are nonunion, while the professors belong to one union and the classified staff belong to another. The adjunct pay has been the same for at least 25 years.

hops · « **Reply #117 on:** August 29, 2020, 08:34:01 PM »

My wife's medical school has announced a swifter end to pay cuts than what was originally expected, but no word on when some suspended benefits will return. Frozen promotion raises will be paid retroactively (minus the pay cut, which varied by department). We're interested in how this plays out if elective procedures have to be halted again. Most furloughed employees were able to return a few weeks early, but some office workers were laid off.

Edited to change a word.

centwise · « **Reply #118 on:** August 29, 2020, 09:33:53 PM »

I'm glad this thread got bumped, now that classes are starting soon. How are we all doing?

What kind of institution are you at (or your kids or at, or whatever your connection to higher ed). Are classes online? In person? How does enrolment look?

Cassie · « **Reply #119 on:** August 29, 2020, 11:14:24 PM »

Instead of teaching one class online every semester I am only teaching once a year. My institution is only using adjuncts when absolutely necessary.

nereo · « **Reply #120 on:** August 30, 2020, 06:12:00 AM »

Quote from: Cassie on August 29, 2020, 11:14:24 PM

Instead of teaching one class online every semester I am only teaching once a year. My institution is only using adjuncts when absolutely necessary.

I was formally notified last week that our department will not be using ANY adjuncts this semester, with every course being taught by tenure-track and tenured faculty. Almost half of all courses are taught by adjuncts, and my department head told me “this is going to be interesting, and not in a good way.”
All existing faculty it seems will be teaching 3 courses this semester, when most teach just 1 or 2 in a normal semester.

There’s a lot of courses that no faculty has taught before (only adjuncts), so it’s going to be a wild ride for all involved.

Sadly, this means I remain underemployed and unlikely to get a job in my field before next year.

ixtap · « **Reply #121 on:** August 30, 2020, 08:29:48 AM »

Quote from: nereo on August 30, 2020, 06:12:00 AM

Quote from: Cassie on August 29, 2020, 11:14:24 PM
Instead of teaching one class online every semester I am only teaching once a year. My institution is only using adjuncts when absolutely necessary.

I was formally notified last week that our department will not be using ANY adjuncts this semester, with every course being taught by tenure-track and tenured faculty. Almost half of all courses are taught by adjuncts, and my department head told me “this is going to be interesting, and not in a good way.”
All existing faculty it seems will be teaching 3 courses this semester, when most teach just 1 or 2 in a normal semester.

There’s a lot of courses that no faculty has taught before (only adjuncts), so it’s going to be a wild ride for all involved.

Sadly, this means I remain underemployed and unlikely to get a job in my field before next year.

Sounds like an excellent convince the faculty who can to quit technique... And I am sure that their tenure standards will be suitable adjusted...

Cassie · « **Reply #122 on:** August 30, 2020, 09:15:01 AM »

I am sorry Nereo. A friend of mine and her husband each teach 4 classes per semester to support themselves at various institutions because they are all online. Both have lost all their classes.

Cranky · « **Reply #123 on:** August 30, 2020, 10:26:04 AM »

My dh is teaching 3 classes, one in person and two online. Two of them he’s never taught before but the guy who does usually teach them had a stroke last spring and it’s unclear when or if he’ll be back. (And he was younger than dh and a vegetarian and very fit, so I guess you never know.)

Meanwhile they don’t actually have a contract as the university wants them to sign a 3 year contract with less $ and more work instead of a 1 year emergency contract. It’s in fact finding.

The university gave everyone *one* mask and installed hand washing stations. There’s no testing required or reporting that anyone knows about.

I’m pretty sure that their goal is to make it to whatever week is past withdrawing and getting a refund...

Cassie · « **Reply #124 on:** August 30, 2020, 10:36:41 AM »

I used to make 22k/year teaching online and now only make 4K. We used the money to take some awesome trips plus I love doing it.

nereo · « **Reply #125 on:** August 30, 2020, 10:50:36 AM »

Quote from: Cassie on August 30, 2020, 10:36:41 AM

I used to make 22k/year teaching online and now only make 4K. We used the money to take some awesome trips plus I love doing it.

For the same workload?!

As in, you used to get paid $22k but now do the same thing for $4k? Smokes...

Padonak · « **Reply #126 on:** August 30, 2020, 11:51:37 AM »

It looks like this is not a good time to start a career as an educator, particularly in higher education. This career is slowly but surely moving in the same direction that musician careers started moving in late 1800s when audio recording was invented. Prior to that, if you wanted to listen to music you had to listen to it live. Live music performances still happen (well, not so much during Covid) but there is not much money to be made a performer unless you are famous. With online education, I'm sure there will still be demand for in-classroom instruction even a hundred years from now but it will be a small niche. Another example of the "winner takes all" economy driven by technology.

nereo · « **Reply #127 on:** August 30, 2020, 02:57:33 PM »

Not sure I would make that analogy.

Cranky · « **Reply #128 on:** August 30, 2020, 03:58:55 PM »

I have not heard a single student say “I’m so glad everything is online!”

Everybody involved hates it.

salt cured · « **Reply #129 on:** August 30, 2020, 04:17:02 PM »

My institution (multi billion dollar endowment) has not had layoffs or furloughs yet, but we have had pay cuts. I'm constantly a little bit anxious about my job because while I'm highly paid (IMO), my research outcomes has been abysmal. That said, I have no idea to what extent my job is at risk, though I think the fact that I can't be readily replaced (due to a hiring freeze) works in my favor. Due to COVID, they actually extended my pre-tenure contract by one year (which, incredibly, includes summer research pay), but I doubt that means I'm safe if shit hits the fan. In the meantime, I'm keeping my head down, tryna do right by my students, and cashing every check sent my way between now and summer 2022.

Padonak · « **Reply #130 on:** August 30, 2020, 05:59:26 PM »

Quote from: Cranky on August 30, 2020, 03:58:55 PM

I have not heard a single student say “I’m so glad everything is online!”

Everybody involved hates it.

I've never heard anyone saying "I would rather listen to my favorite band on Spotify than live" either.

rudged · « **Reply #131 on:** August 30, 2020, 07:01:22 PM »

Our university has been concerned about deceased enrollment, but to my mind the co-vid pandemic could be a potential boon. We have a large number of people who have been displaced from their jobs who need to retrain, and for those who are tempted to take a gap year, it is not as if you can get a job or travel abroad easily.

My undergraduate biology class (which used to meet three times a week for 50 minutes each) last fall had an enrollment of 76 students. This fall I am teaching it asynchronously on line for the first time (weekly learning modules) and the enrollment is currently at 104! Our university charges less for online classes, but still we are all hopeful that the worst scenario of dramatically lower enrollments will not come to pass.

nereo · « **Reply #132 on:** August 31, 2020, 07:09:49 AM »

Quote from: Padonak on August 30, 2020, 11:51:37 AM

It looks like this is not a good time to start a career as an educator, particularly in higher education. This career is slowly but surely moving in the same direction that musician careers started moving in late 1800s when audio recording was invented. Prior to that, if you wanted to listen to music you had to listen to it live. Live music performances still happen (well, not so much during Covid) but there is not much money to be made a performer unless you are famous. With online education, I'm sure there will still be demand for in-classroom instruction even a hundred years from now but it will be a small niche. Another example of the "winner takes all" economy driven by technology.

Quote from: Padonak on August 30, 2020, 05:59:26 PM

Quote from: Cranky on August 30, 2020, 03:58:55 PM
I have not heard a single student say “I’m so glad everything is online!”

Everybody involved hates it.

I've never heard anyone saying "I would rather listen to my favorite band on Spotify than live" either.

Not to beat a dead horse, but there are so many holes with this analogy that I think it's both misleading and useless.

Starting with the 'musician career' aspect, it implies that prior to the late 1800s the career path of a musician was somehow lucrative, or at least stable - and that recordings somehow ruined that. The 'traveling/touring musician' life has never been lucrative or stable except for a select few who gained widespread fame (or at the least name-recognition). Ironically, this didn't happen *until* recordings came about and a musician could be heard beyond his/her home town. Prior to recordings and broadcast music over radio the best most musicians could hope for was about what most get now -- a minority percentage of the door and sometimes food/drink and a place to sleep. We actually had an entire thread about this a while back, but the idea that recordings/MTv/Spotify has shifted the professional incentive of being a musician is bunk - it is an always has been a strongly right-tailed distribution, with the majority just scraping by or doing it as a hobby and a select few being paid well.

Ironically your quip about "I've never heard anyone saying 'I would rather listen to my favorite band on Spotify than live' either" is telling; musicians are not precluded from performing live (before this pandemic) and on average they earn about what they have doing so for the last several decades, which is more than musicians could typically get in the 18th and 19th centuries.

Moving on to the higher-education side of the analogy, I think you are confusing an educational crisis brought about by this pandemic and a lack of funding with the inherent structure of advanced education. For starters, the student load has been steadily increasing; there has never been so many students in higher education. Pre-Covid the demand for qualified instructors has been high for decades, though schools were constantly facing budget crises due to several factors (including reduced direct funding, increased overhead and admin costs).There's an ongoing 'arms-race' for professors who can bring in research dollars, followed by an acute need for instructors who can teach advanced courses. As Cranky pointed out a negligible number of students want everything online, and schools are being hammered by students who don't want to pay full tuition for an experience that's sub-par, and they have the options to go elsewhere. Ultimately your analogy really falls apart if you stop focusing on one small time period (pre-Covid) and one geographic location (the US) and get a broader view. Throughout the world new world-class universities are popping up and expanding. Most pay very decent middle-class wages (for that country).

Cranky · « **Reply #133 on:** August 31, 2020, 07:25:40 AM »

Quote from: Padonak on August 30, 2020, 05:59:26 PM

Quote from: Cranky on August 30, 2020, 03:58:55 PM
I have not heard a single student say “I’m so glad everything is online!”

Everybody involved hates it.

I've never heard anyone saying "I would rather listen to my favorite band on Spotify than live" either.

Oh, well, then let me be the first! LOL

maizefolk · « **Reply #134 on:** August 31, 2020, 08:02:36 AM »

Big public university here. We were issued one clear face shield each. My chair really wanted us to teach using a face shield instead of a face mask so people could read our lips, regardless of the CDC guidance that the shield isn't an effective substitute for a mask.

Overall enrollment isn't down much, although tuition is down as a result of fewer international and out of state students. Hiring freeze but no furloughs yet. Classes are mostly hybrid, a mixture of online and in person instruction. Students have been turning in professors to upper administration for having only taught online and so far not yet in person in courses that are listed on the books as hybrid. It's a mess. Multiple clusters of COIVD at different sororities/fraternities.

StarBright · « **Reply #135 on:** August 31, 2020, 08:48:58 AM »

Quote from: maizefolk on August 31, 2020, 08:02:36 AM

Overall enrollment isn't down much, although tuition is down as a result of fewer international and out of state students. Hiring freeze but no furloughs yet. Classes are mostly hybrid, a mixture of online and in person instruction. Students have been turning in professors to upper administration for having only taught online and so far not yet in person in courses that are listed on the books as hybrid. It's a mess. Multiple clusters of COIVD at different sororities/fraternities.

Ugh to the bolded. My DH sent out the schedule of in-class and virtual days ahead of time and specifically asked students for input because he was afraid of just that.

MayDay · « **Reply #136 on:** August 31, 2020, 09:16:14 AM »

Well Iowa is doing super awesome.

https://iowastartingline.com/2020/08/30/ames-iowa-city-covid-outbreaks-are-worst-in-the-world/

We've told my parents to stop going out as it going to be all over the community in no time. We'll see if they listen!

ixtap · « **Reply #137 on:** August 31, 2020, 09:19:05 AM »

Quote from: MayDay on August 31, 2020, 09:16:14 AM

Well Iowa is doing super awesome.

https://iowastartingline.com/2020/08/30/ames-iowa-city-covid-outbreaks-are-worst-in-the-world/

We've told my parents to stop going out as it going to be all over the community in no time. We'll see if they listen!

We're #1!!

G-dog · « **Reply #138 on:** August 31, 2020, 10:47:11 AM »

Quote from: ixtap on August 31, 2020, 09:19:05 AM

Quote from: MayDay on August 31, 2020, 09:16:14 AM
Well Iowa is doing super awesome.

https://iowastartingline.com/2020/08/30/ames-iowa-city-covid-outbreaks-are-worst-in-the-world/

We've told my parents to stop going out as it going to be all over the community in no time. We'll see if they listen!

We're #1!!

YES! We win! /s

G-dog · « **Reply #139 on:** August 31, 2020, 10:51:41 AM »

Spouse is faculty at a private college. The university gave faculty the option to teach in-person or online. Spouse picked online and has warned peers they will likely all be teaching online by the end of September.

The university did pay cuts - % cut increasing based on salary bands. Those make long less than $50K have no pay cut (yet).

maizefolk · « **Reply #140 on:** August 31, 2020, 11:44:34 AM »

Quote from: MayDay on August 31, 2020, 09:16:14 AM

Well Iowa is doing super awesome.

https://iowastartingline.com/2020/08/30/ames-iowa-city-covid-outbreaks-are-worst-in-the-world/

We've told my parents to stop going out as it going to be all over the community in no time. We'll see if they listen!

Iowa has at least cancelled football. ISU (Ames) is still planning on having a football season with fans in the bleachers last I'd heard. Is that still accurate? Plus a city council still struggling to pass a mask ordinance which, even if they ultimately succeed, will likely just get them sued by the governor.

Stay safe all you Iowa-based mustacians.

Edit: Yes, in fact they'll be putting 25,000 people into the stadium for the first game at ISU. https://www.kcci.com/article/isu-to-allow-25k-fans-inside-stadium-at-football-opener/33851190

nereo · « **Reply #141 on:** August 31, 2020, 02:20:48 PM »

Quote from: maizefolk on August 31, 2020, 11:44:34 AM

Quote from: MayDay on August 31, 2020, 09:16:14 AM
Well Iowa is doing super awesome.

https://iowastartingline.com/2020/08/30/ames-iowa-city-covid-outbreaks-are-worst-in-the-world/

We've told my parents to stop going out as it going to be all over the community in no time. We'll see if they listen!

Iowa has at least cancelled football. ISU (Ames) is still planning on having a football season with fans in the bleachers last I'd heard. Is that still accurate? Plus a city council still struggling to pass a mask ordinance which, even if they ultimately succeed, will likely just get them sued by the governor.

Stay safe all you Iowa-based mustacians.

What student-based activities and gatherings have been canceled while football remains active at certain schools?

Hvillian · « **Reply #142 on:** August 31, 2020, 08:18:47 PM »

Wife recently got notice (during her first week at the new job) that all full time faculty will be furloughed 15 days over the course of the year. Would be great if it were actually 15 less days of work, but that isn't how it will work.

All classes are currently online only, but scheduled to move to a hybrid format during the secong week of September. We'll see. For reference, the University is a smallish, public school with mostly D-1 sports and a decent regional reputation but not nationally known if they haven't qualified for March Madness in a few years.

Archipelago · « **Reply #143 on:** August 31, 2020, 09:29:24 PM »

Quote from: nereo on June 24, 2020, 01:59:13 PM

Quote from: maizeman on June 24, 2020, 01:50:54 PM
Quote from: nereo on June 24, 2020, 01:33:40 PM
R1 research institutions bring in a sizable share of their revenue from research grants, which - through the way grant cycles work won't be impacted this fall but could be deeply impacted in 2021 and beyond should there be a large retreat from state and federal grants as a result of the recession, as we saw after the great recession. And of course there's public/private, and how those are incorporated. Some public university systems are actually written into the state's constituion and so "cannot fail" (so to speak). Others get a sizable chunk of their revenue from the state coffers.

My own current state system recieves just over 30% of their operating expenses directly from the state, 59% from tuition, and the rest from "other", with an almost non-existent endowment (relative to our expenditures). We are going to be hurting.

One thing to be careful about when looking at what proportion of the overall budget is accounted for by federal grants at R1 institutions is that the majority of that money is being spent to do specific research and hire people dedicated specifically to doing that research. If I get a half million dollar grant to work on my area of expertise, that's another $500,000 in the university coffers but about an extra $350,000 in new spending required to complete the grant (hire a postdoc, pay undergrads, etc). That money cannot be redirected to support the university's teaching mission. It is only the difference between the $500k and the $350k (the indirect cost) which is theoretically redeploy able to cover budget shortfalls.

The big x-factor you touch on is what is going to happen to state aid for public schools once legislatures start meeting and passing new budgets. State budgets are really hurting right now, and if the great recession is any guide, support for state schools is a lot easier to cut politically in hard times than most of the other big line items in the state budget. Back in the great recession, universities were cushioned somewhat by growth in enrollment (people who couldn't find work because the economy was a mess decided to get a new degree or a credential instead). But there were still lots of budget cuts and furloughs and even, in the UC system, paying faculty with IOUs.

Our grant overhead is 62%. God how I dream of having a 30% overhead so a $500k grant would leave us with $350 to do actual science with. My previous grant (small by comparison) was $149k. I was able to spend just $52k after the institution took its cut.

Holy cow @nereo

Do you see this as a catastrophic failure of our institutions?

G-dog · « **Reply #144 on:** September 03, 2020, 09:39:23 AM »

Quote from: nereo on August 31, 2020, 02:20:48 PM

Quote from: maizefolk on August 31, 2020, 11:44:34 AM
Quote from: MayDay on August 31, 2020, 09:16:14 AM
Well Iowa is doing super awesome.

https://iowastartingline.com/2020/08/30/ames-iowa-city-covid-outbreaks-are-worst-in-the-world/

We've told my parents to stop going out as it going to be all over the community in no time. We'll see if they listen!

Iowa has at least cancelled football. ISU (Ames) is still planning on having a football season with fans in the bleachers last I'd heard. Is that still accurate? Plus a city council still struggling to pass a mask ordinance which, even if they ultimately succeed, will likely just get them sued by the governor.

Stay safe all you Iowa-based mustacians.

What student-based activities and gatherings have been canceled while football remains active at certain schools?

Yesterday Iowa State (ISU) decided to NOT have fans at the first football game. But they do hope to admit fans for their 2nd home game in about a month. The ISU president reversed the plan after getting pushback from the community.

At University of Iowa, some faculty, staff, and students staged a sick-out - pushing for classes to go all online.

Meanwhile, the governor had issued a mandate closing bars in 6 counties* with high infection rates, some bar owners have sued stating this wasn’t a reasonable response to flatten the local curves.

*includes the 3 counties with the 3 state universities.

Cassie · « **Reply #145 on:** September 03, 2020, 11:56:49 AM »

Nereo, just saw your question. They used to pay me per student and I taught all 3 semesters. Now I teach one semester only for a flat fee of 4K.

Goldielocks · « **Reply #146 on:** September 10, 2020, 05:42:03 PM »

I just attended our back to school annual conference (video call) for adjuncts at my college.

Overall, the school is 4% in the red on the budget this year versus a profit planned of around 8%. We are 8% down in enrollments overall.

Cuts will be looked at for programs already struggling in the past 3 years to get student enrollments, although they have introduced a handful of new qualifications / programs this year as well.

Interestingly, we are up 2.7% in domestic enrollments... I presume many are in first year / first level or elective classes. Although nearly everything is virtual leaning, with so many people out of (lower paid / hospitality) work means that many more are signing up to improve / change thier careers. We are known as a practical, technical college, and the premier trade college in our area, but also offer bachelor degrees and graduate certificates.

International enrollments in 2019 were 40% of the student population, and are down a fair amount this year, in 2016 international students made up only 25% of the student population, so it was a very fast growth, of more than 3x in only 3 years. The international student counts reacted to Covid quickly (because the students need to return to home countries right now, in general). However, the online format has kept quite a few of them participating / enrolled for now, as they can earn credits towards a degree from their home country (The Government allows this). Brand new international students have dropped off.

Getting a 2-4 year qualification on a student visa, in Canada, gives applications a lot of "points" on a Permanent Resident Application, so this is very attractive internationally.

In my two classes, enrollment is close to last year's count pre-covid. It is a quickly growing certificate program that I teach the final class for, so these students have been in the pipeline for over a year now, and just want to complete it. They kept both classes for me this term, not cancelling one and combining, like last term. Yay! Having 20 students per class was the reason, I am certain.

Tig_ · « **Reply #147 on:** September 11, 2020, 01:34:46 PM »

My university announced yesterday that as long as things move forward as planned, there are no university wide layoffs or furloughs planned. There will be graduated salary reductions for those making over $150k, up to 10%.

I'm in an Auxiliary unit though, so it sounds like more to come for those. They just said whatever millions of "general cuts" from Auxiliary units would be happening. I imagine there will be layoffs in units like Dining and some of our facilities staff, but also sounds like we won't know for sure for another couple of weeks. Certainly sounded like the university would not be stepping in to support us.

Also assumes we don't go fully remote again this semester.

maizefolk · « **Reply #148 on:** October 08, 2020, 03:08:30 PM »

Just saw this one today.

Ithaca College is going to lay off 130 faculty after the current academic year, including those with tenure. That's about a quarter of all of their professors.

https://theithacan.org/news/ic-to-cut-130-faculty-positions-due-to-low-enrollment/

Cranky · « **Reply #149 on:** October 08, 2020, 04:56:06 PM »

I’m pretty sure that dh will be on strike next week. The administration has turned down the fact finders report and refused all compromise. I suspect that there is an undisclosed long term plan.

Personally, we are sad but in pretty good shape. We’ll just leave a little earlier than planned.

Well, dh is sad because he believed them all the times the administration said ‘Valued faculty!” And now he’s shocked to find that they’re lying, but I’m a lot more cynical.

News:

Author Topic: Higher ed layoffs? (Read 18467 times)