Diving overview:
- To overcome operating losses, Eastern Oregon University plans to cut costs by $4.8 million, a decrease of 8.4%. After the board approves the budget For Wednesday, Fiscal Year 2025..
- The cuts will leave about two dozen vacancies unfilled and eliminate four currently filled staff and administrative positions, AFP said. Presentation to the Board of Directors.
- During the current fiscal year, Eastern Oregon's operating expenses outpaced revenues by approximately $3.8 million, indicating an increase in deficit compared to the previous year..
Dive Insights:
Eastern Oregon joins an ever-growing list of colleges and universities that are cutting operating and academic program costs to financially adapt to declining tuition.
Since 2017, overall enrollment in Eastern Oregon has decreased by 11.3%. teao Fall 2022 has 2,674 students. Enrollments have fallen more than 35% since 2010.
According to LeeAnn Case, Eastern Oregon's interim vice president for finance and administration, the administration expects enrollment to be flat or decline for the 2024-25 school year, thanks to recent recruitment and retention efforts.
example Eastern Oregon's administration said it tried to “have no human impact” with its new budget and primarily targeted vacant positions at the university.
The new budget will leave 10 staff, three administrative positions and 10 faculty positions unfilled. But ultimately, One staff member and three administrative positions currently filled will be laid off..
Case's announcement said the compensation cuts would save the budget $3 million.
The plan also reduces service and operations budgets, saving $86,000 in travel costs, $395,000 in software spending, and $545,000 in service and supplies costs. The latter reduction represents a “very significant blow” given Eastern Oregon's relatively small budget for services and supplies, Case said.
In addition to budget cuts, Eastern Oregon plans to increase tuition, including a 4.5 percent tuition increase for undergraduate students living on campus and a 3 percent increase in overall graduate tuition.
Combining the cuts and tuition increases could allow the university to end fiscal 2025 with a modest surplus of $640,000.
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