West Virginia University is under fire after an announcement revealing it plans to cut its budget and remove its languages department to address its massive $45 million deficit.
The development comes after the university also planned to manage the deficit through faculty layoffs and academic program consolidation. An 18-year-old student, Christian Adams, who planned to major in Chinese studies, said he would have to shift courses and spend an extra year in college, resulting in more student loans.
West Virginia University Plans Budget Cut
Adams said many students are worried about the situation, and some were already considering transferring to other schools. However, he noted that many students were stuck with the hand they were dealt.
Last week, the university announced that it was proposing laying off 169 faculty members, roughly 7% of the faculty working on its main campus in Morgantown, shocking staff, students, and their families, as per the New York Times.
Additionally, the university would shut down 32 of its 338 majors, and some other programs would be consolidated. This includes those that deal with West Virginia's historically crucial but declining mining industry. University officials said it would likely become an "energy" program."
The proposed cuts are expected to affect 147 undergraduates and 287 graduate students or under 2% of student enrollment. The West Virginia University administration calls the plan a "transformation," but some professors call it a "blood bath."
The university's budget cuts have sparked debate regarding some of the most prominent issues facing higher education in the United States. Nationally speaking, interest in English and world languages is declining as students shift to the humanities.
West Virginia University, the largest public university in the state, is planning to move toward eliminating a master's degree program in creative writing and a doctoral program in mathematics, according to the Washington Post.
Addressing a $45 Million Budget Deficit
In a statement, the president of West Virginia University since 2014, E. Gordon Gee, said they are going through an existential crisis in higher education. He added that the school just happened to be on the point of the spear, arguing that the planned cuts are crucial in freeing up resources for programs that are in higher demand, including forensics, engineering, and neuroscience.
Gee added that universities must earn back trust amid declining public confidence in higher education. He noted that the people of West Virginia are telling us what they want and argued that they are now listening to them.
The West Virginia University president also said that while they see the recommendations for reductions and discontinuations as necessary, they are also aware of the people the decisions will affect. Gee noted that the faculty that would be laid off are their colleagues, neighbors, and friends.
Gee cited that the budget shortfall among top universities is primarily due to a decline in enrollment. At West Virginia University alone, the student population has dropped by 10% since 2015, said the Associated Press.
