CASPER, Wyo. — The University of Wyoming Board of Trustees will be considering a proposal that aims to slash over $13 million in annual expenditures, UW announced Tuesday.
That could mean eliminating up to 75 faculty and other staff positions, including up to ten department heads. UW President Ed Seidel’s administration is also proposing eliminating and restructuring multiple programs.
“Programs that are not discontinued or reorganized, including UW-Casper, would receive a 3 percent budget reduction,” UW says.
The university already eliminated 80 unfilled positions and enacted other cost-saving measures after receiving a $42.3 million reduction in funding from the Wyoming Legislature for the current biennium. The newly proposed cuts are an effort to “adjust to economic shifts and respond to a changing higher-education landscape,” UW says.
“The world, Wyoming and higher education are in the midst of major changes,” Seidel said in UW’s announcement. “UW must respond. In order to better serve our students and our state amid a significant decline in state funding, we must restructure to put UW on a sustainable path for the future.”
“The goals of this plan are to enhance the student experience and train them for success; become a better engine for innovation and economic development; and develop new revenue streams.”
Departments that would be eliminated under the plan include:
- Departments of Computer Science
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
- Department of Chemical Engineering
- School of Counseling, Leadership and Design
Degrees offered by the Department of Computer Science, Electrical and Computer Engineering and Chemical Engineering would still be available under new academic units, according to UW.
Other program restructurings include:
- Department of Geology and Geophysics would see a size reduction and be combined with the Department of Petroleum Engineering in a new unit to “include geological sciences and preserve geological, geophysics and geosciences degrees.”
- Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics would be consolidated with the Department of Economics.
- The agricultural communication program would move to the Department of Communication and Journalism.
- Department of Family and Consumer Sciences would be reduced.
- Nutrition program would move to the College of Health Sciences.
- Early Care and Education Center would move to the College of Education.
- College of Arts and Sciences would become the College of Social Sciences, Humanities and Art.
- Creative Writing Program would be consolidated into the Department of English.
- Department of Visual and Literary Arts would be renamed as the Department of Visual and Performing Arts.
- Would add the departments of Music, and Theatre and Dance.
- The Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies would be reduced.
- American Studies Program would move into the School of Gender, Culture and Social Justice “with a number of low-enrollment degree programs in that school combined into a single degree with various concentrations.”
- College of Agriculture and Natural Resources would become the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.
- The departments of Botany, and Zoology and Physiology and the Life Sciences Program would move to the new college.
- College of Engineering and Applied Science would become the College of Engineering and Physical Sciences.
- The department of Chemistry, Geology and Geophysics, Mathematics and Statistics, and Physics and Astronomy would move to the newly named college.
UW adds that a “number of low-enrollment degree programs have been identified for discontinuation as well.”
The university is also looking at “an across-the-board reduction for academic programs and administrative offices; cost-saving measures related to end-of-appointment sick leave; reduction of sick-leave accruals; centralizing administrative functions; and restructuring debt. UW also is seeking approval to increase parking fees.”
Under the proposal, UW would also look to launch a new School of Computing. The university would also create a new Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation (CEI) and a new Wyoming Outdoor Recreation, Tourism and Hospitality (WORTH) Initiative.
“These three linked initiatives are aimed squarely at training students in areas important for advancing key markets for the future economy of Wyoming, while propelling the new Wyoming Innovation Partnership,” UW says. “The Wyoming Innovation Partnership (WIP) — formerly the Wyoming Innovation Network — is a new collaboration with the state’s seven community colleges endorsed by Gov. Mark Gordon to develop innovative solutions that will support and enhance Wyoming’s economy and workforce.”
“It includes an emphasis on focusing workforce development on high-potential areas; supporting and training entrepreneurs and new business startups; a research and market analysis agenda aimed at technology transfer and commercialization; and developing outside revenue sources such as corporate partnerships to provide new opportunities for students.”
The proposal will be presented to the Board of Trustees during its July 13-16 meeting in Torrington, according to UW. People can access further details regarding the proposals online.
