More than 100 PASSHE faculty are at risk of losing their job at the end of the 2020–2021 academic year, as per the official letters of retrenchment they have received. Retrenchment is the process of university downsizing, often for the purpose of making budget cuts. The Association of Pennsylvania State College and University Faculty (APSCUF) has protested this downsizing for a multitude of reasons, including that it will leave many without jobs in the middle of a pandemic.
As early as May 10, universities were sent letters of intent, a warning that those university’s faculty are being considered for retrenchment. This included Bloomsberg, Kutztown and Millersville, though they were deemed safe before September. The universities of California, Cheyney, Clarion, Edinboro, Indiana, Lock Haven and Mansfield all received notice of letters of retrenchment in September. This functions as a heads-up for universities that there will be official letters of retrenchment sent directly to faculty on Oct. 30.
Official letters of retrenchment were sent to more than 100 PASSHE faculty at Cheyney, Edinboro, Indiana, Lock Haven and Mansfield. California and Clarion did not receive letters on that date but are still in danger of receiving them at a later date.
This is a numerically and structurally significant round of faculty layoffs, the largest in over 30 years. It is projected that this will return classrooms to the student-to-faculty ratio of the 2010–2011 academic year, which was significantly higher than the current ratio. By returning to this state, students are at risk of losing the valuable connections and more obtainable relationships with professors. Professors will have to adapt to larger classrooms and, in some cases, teach majors that they have not previously.
Some schools, like Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP), are undergoing complete academic restructuring due to the forecasted loss of valuable faculty. Set to let go of an upward of 80 faculty members, the university has announced that it will be disbanding five majors in the fine arts, as well as combining the College of Humanities and Social Sciences with the College of Fine Arts. IUP’s President Driscoll has pitched the restructuring as a rebranding effort as well, committing the university to focus on science, mathematics, engineering and health disciplines in an effort to meet the needs of a changing student demographic.
This announcement led to student protests and public backlash. On Oct. 26, approximately 100 students gathered to stand in “silent concert” on campus, symbolizing what is to come if fine arts programs are cut. Two days later, members of the APSCUF gathered similarly to protest the loss of jobs and lack of support that was felt due to retrenchment. In an interview with the Indiana Gazette, IUP faculty and APSCUF president Dr. Jamie Martin explained, “Not only are faculty cuts a blow to the professors themselves, but, by extension, layoffs take opportunities away from students … Retrenchment is devastating at any time, but these letters are threatening to take away livelihoods and health care in the middle of a global pandemic.”
Often, those who receive letters of retrenchment are offered positions at other PASSHE universities. However, with the high number of letters of retrenchment and the shrinking enrollment and therefore faculty positions, opportunities to transfer are few and far between. Combined with the economic impact of the pandemic, many are concerned that retrenched faculty will struggle to find new employment and criticize the timing of this decision.
The APSCUF encourages alumni that were enrolled at a PASSHE university during the 2010–2011 academic year to give testimony about the high student-to-faculty ratio, and for current students to speak out against changes they feel are unjust or unproductive.
Caroline Helms is a second-year English major with minors in Political Science and Journalism. CH923631@wcupa.edu
Image taken from passhe.edu