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Youngstown State University will lay off several faculty members and eliminate more than two dozen degree programs as part of a universitywide effort to achieve financial stability, the Ohio public university announced Monday.
Twenty-six programs are marked for elimination, 10 of which enroll no students, including the bachelor’s degree programs in French and art history. Three of the programs only enroll one student. The programs span all degree types and also include bachelor’s degrees in Italian, music theory and computer information systems. Only 90 students will be affected by the program cuts.
In total, nine faculty members will be laid off. The university offered reassignment to two of those employees, and one chose to retire.
Youngstown has struggled to maintain enrollment for several years. This fall, the university enrolled 11,289 students—an 11 percent decline compared with three years ago. As a result, tuition and room and board revenue is projected to decline by $5.6 million this fiscal year.
“While these are difficult decisions, they are necessary to further position us for success in the post-pandemic era,” Jim Tressel, president of the university, said in a press release.
