The decision is part of a plan to reevaluate staffing levels and programmatic offerings at Wittenberg in light of current and projected enrollment numbers as well as changing student demographics.
“We are examining all options for possible cost-savings, which include, but may not be limited to, the following: review and/or renegotiation of all institutional contracts; exploration of outsourcing for select services; evaluation of all University assets; review of all employee benefits; restructuring of athletics offerings; and review of the academic program,” Frandsen said in an email.
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Earlier this month the private liberal arts college announced that it would be cutting some faculty positions for the next academic school year. In a statement to students and faculty, Frandsen said of those who were notified that their teaching appointments would not be renewed by Wittenberg, six did not have tenure and two were in the process of becoming tenured.
“Finances, is something that we look at constantly. But a particular pressure point is enrollment. It is a combination of recruitment of new students and retention of current students,” Frandsen told the News-Sun on Monday.
Wittenberg currently has a total of 1,619 students enrolled, including those in high school scholars’ programs and those in graduate programs, according to numbers provided by the university. That is a decrease of 175 students compared to the same period last year, according to data from Wittenberg.
There has also been a drop in full-time students enrolled at the university, which decreased from 1,731 students to 1,567 since last September.
However, most universities in the state have either seen stagnate enrollment or a drop in new students over the past couple of years, according to the Ohio Department of Higher Education.
“Due primarily to changing Ohio demographics, a majority of Ohio colleges and universities have experienced flat or declining student enrollment,” said Randy Gardner, the chancellor of the Ohio Department of Higher Education, in an email to the News-Sun.
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“We have seen a reduction in the number of high school graduates along with an improved college graduate rate. These two factors are impacting overall higher education enrollment in Ohio,” he added.
Frandsen said they expect to see a drop in the university’s four to six-year graduation rates when data being collected now is analyzed. He said there have been a number of students who leave the university after their first year.
“We are seeing more students choosing public institutions. We are also seeing more students in the workforce as job options are so good right now with unemployment being low,” Frandsen said.
“That is why we need to look at what we are doing. How we are recruiting students, what we are doing to retain them and what programs we’re offering,” he added.
The Springfield News-Sun has closely tracked budget cuts at Wittenberg, leadership changes and their affect on the Springfield community over the years, including stories digging into financial troubles and staff turnovers.
By the numbers
1,567: Number of full-time students at Wittenberg
1,619: Number of total students currently enrolled at Wittenberg
1,794: Total enrollment at Wittenberg last year
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