Despite UW-Oshkosh’s efforts to combat faculty losses, the combination of reduced state funds and low enrollment threatens the life of administrative positions.
UW-Oshkosh Chancellor Andrew Leavitt announced the necessity for the faculty shifts following the university’s decrease in revenue.
"We’re down about 1,800 undergraduate students in the last five years. So
However, this year there was a slight enrollment boost of first-year students. David Siemers, a political science professor at UW-Oshkosh, questioned the necessity for the proposed cuts. Leavitt responded that it was a situation that they needed to “remedy.”
Siemers also noted the cuts will primarily impact students as a decrease in staff means a loss in quality education at the university.
"This is an intentional financial crisis of the state’s choosing — we didn't create that problem," Siemers said.
With the potential reduction of faculty comes an increase in responsibilities for the remaining professors to tackle throughout the year. Over the past four years, the university has cut more than 100 positions.
There has been a 15 percent reduction in enrollment over the past six years as well, resulting in a $10 million loss of revenue for the university.
State Representative Gordon Hintz, D-Oshkosh, heard of the potential losses and released a statement on the involvement of the budget cuts lead by Gov. Walker in 2015 as a notable cause of the UW System’s funding suffrage over the past few years.
“Instead, Governor Walker and Legislative Republicans continue to dismantle UW System through self-inflicted cuts. Loss of faculty at UW Oshkosh will come at the expense of student learning and future opportunity,” Hintz released in a statement.
