Cleveland State University announced it's laying off 14 staff as it works to address a $40 million budget deficit after years of enrollment decline.
The university said in a statement Tuesday that "every unit" across campus has been working to reduce expenses, but that statement did not specify which departments the layoffs are happening in, merely that they were "across the campus."
"The University is committed to providing support to impacted employees," spokesperson Reena Arora-Sánchez said.
She said Cleveland State University is not alone in facing financial challenges. In Northeast Ohio, Baldwin-Wallace University announced it was cutting 23 staff in February, while Notre Dame College in South Euclid was shuttered in May; meanwhile, Eastern Gateway Community College in Steubenville and Youngstown will close by the end of October.
"Colleges and universities in Ohio and across the nation are facing unprecedented enrollment and financial challenges," Arora-Sánchez said in the CSU statement. "Cleveland State University has prioritized addressing these issues to ensure the education of its current and future students. At the same time, the University is continuing the process of transforming its curriculum as Cleveland’s only public, research-focused institution that creates excellent learning opportunities for all students."
The news comes after the university offered buyouts in April to staff through a voluntary retirement and separation package, in a separate bid to cut costs. The university in a statement Tuesday said "final numbers" on how many employees took the buyouts are pending. The university is using $9 million from its reserves to pay for that program.
