Tuesday’s New York Times published an article concerning the hard times that have fallen upon West Virginia University. The school is running a budget deficit of $45 million, and university president E. Gordon Gee has instituted spending cuts to restore financial stability.
“In a move that shocked the faculty, students and their families, West Virginia University announced last week that it was proposing laying off 169 faculty members, or 7 percent of the faculty on its main campus in Morgantown,” reports the Times. Some courses might also be on the chopping block, like world languages and creative writing.
Aside from the “shock” that the Times reported, we also learn that some professors on campus view the proposals as a “bloodbath.” Other critics blame the deficit on chronic budget mismanagement by university administrators.
The Times also points out that West Virginia University is not the only university contending with massive deficits. Others, include New Jersey’s Rutgers University, which according to a recent story in The Hill, is still demanding all students get vaccinated for covid, and holding on to the pandemic era mask mandates.
I guess the only people not shocked that a $45 million dollar spending deficit will result in spending cuts – are the Americans who no longer believe that institutions of “higher learning” are worthy of special status in our society.
Many “blue-collar” Americans know all too well how quickly layoffs can occur in the private sector, even if a company “projects” a rocky financial time is on the way.
I want to be very clear that I have no schadenfreude for anyone facing a job loss – especially in the Biden economy with runaway inflation and economic turmoil.
That said – it is high time that American universities face the truth. Their model doesn’t seem to be working. Students are complaining of the massive debt that is incurred to get a degree.
And it isn’t a big secret that political indoctrination rather than education seems to be what the focus is, at too many American Universities.
Perhaps it’s time for a real “bloodbath” of sorts on campus. Get rid of the expensive liberal and socialist model – and replace it with an education model that prepares students to enter the workforce with real-life skills instead of political opinions.
Amen.
First thing every university should do is look at how any former politicians, government officials and any other payback professors they have. Like Elizabeth Warren, Hillary Clinton, Dr. “DEATH” Fauci, they have and how much they are paying them. They show up once a semester teach few classes and rake in millions. They should drop all classes that do not provide or cannot be tied to a real job. Gender studies etc. Then cut administration by 30%. Make these non -real rolls open jobs they can give to students like we used to. If they want classes that do to drive you to a job, chare 5X normal classes. You should not be living in a Taj mahal while at college, they tear everything up anyway. Finally get the loan programs under control. One more thing send your kids to the local community college and knock out all electives. Live at home and grow up. You will be grateful. PROBLEM SOLVED!