Aug. 3 – FROSTBURG – Frostburg State University officials on Thursday announced a $7.7 million budget deficit and a recovery plan that will result in a “reorganized” administration, a reduction in faculty and a smaller budget for athletic programs.
In a similar, more detailed email sent to faculty, the university cited declining enrollment since the COVID-19 pandemic and continued losses in state funding for education, which resulted in a $1.5 million cut to the school’s budget, as the main culprits.
The plan
“Stabilizing and increasing enrollment is key to our financial challenges,” Al Delia, the acting president and vice president for regional development and engagement, wrote in the email.
According to the university, a budget team of students, faculty and staff was formed to close the deficit. By 2026, the university’s budget is expected to have a $3.2 million surplus if the plan is followed.
The ‘multi-year plan’ consists of four elements:
—Administrative reorganization that will save more than $1.7 million after 2025.
—Reducing the number of faculty positions, which could save $3.9 million in 2026 and $4.8 million in 2027. This process will be led by a reorganization committee made up of current faculty members and the University of Maryland System Board of Regents.
—Redistribution of athletic scholarships, directing $1 million in scholarships to academic programs and saving $883,000 after 2025.
—University and operations cuts that will save more than $1 million after 2025. This includes an increase in student parking pass fees from $40 to $50 and a hefty 500% increase for senior administrators, who will pay $200.
Concerns of the faculty
According to Delia, the exact number of teachers who will lose their jobs is unknown.
“We will give a target to the retrenchment committee,” he said Friday. “It will depend on the productivity of each academic department.”
Delia predicted that approximately 45 faculty members – temporary and permanent faculty with less than two years of service at the university – will be laid off.
The process will begin in the fall semester, with expulsions likely to begin in the spring semester of 2025.
The university said the reduced faculty numbers will address “an imbalance” in the declining numbers of full-time students versus faculty. Since 2010, full-time student enrollment has fallen 36 percent, while full-time faculty enrollment has fallen only 14 percent.
According to Delia, the student-to-professor ratio has dropped from 18 to 1 to 13 to 1.
Andy Duncan, a professor in the English department, expressed concern about the school board.
“My condolences go out to all of my colleagues who will lose their jobs and all of my students whose time at Frostburg will be so sadly cut short,” he said in a Facebook post Thursday. “My confidence in our current university administration is zero.”
Delia said students will not be affected by the changes. “Education will not be affected in any way,” he said.
Building closures
Although the university recently opened a new $82 million Health and Natural Sciences building, Delia says this has “zero” to do with current budget issues and staff reductions.
“Capital budget money is completely different from operating costs,” he said.
According to Delia, the new building will allow the university to “compete” with other universities in the state and region, which could increase enrollment.
The university will also close the Old Main Building and Guild Hall, which is expected to save $100,000 to $150,000 per year in maintenance and utilities.
Problems with declining enrollments
While overall enrollment is still declining, Delia said the university has 100 more new students enrolled for the upcoming fall semester than it did in fall 2023. To further increase enrollment, Delia said the school is targeting “mature learners” and students in these “growth areas.”
Frostburg State, like other smaller academic institutions across the country, is facing budget challenges, largely due to continued student enrollment declines.
Notre Dame College of Ohio, which was in the same athletic conference as FSU, closed its doors permanently in the spring due to enrollment and funding issues.
Another school in the region, Alderson Broaddous University in Phillipi, West Virginia, closed permanently last year due to bankruptcy and similar concerns.
Frostburg State alum Justin Geiszler said it will likely be difficult for any university to increase enrollment.
“Online college is much more affordable than Frostburg and now it’s more widely available than ever,” he said. “They need something to differentiate it from other attractive options.”
While FSU’s athletic program is attractive to many potential student-athletes, a university survey found that 73.94% of current student-athletes would not have enrolled if they were not athletes.
What awaits us?
“As a campus community, we must work together to move Frostburg State University forward,” the university said.
The university administration will hold three virtual town hall meetings to give faculty and staff the opportunity to ask questions. These will be held on August 7, 13 and 14.
Andrew Creelman is a reporter for the Cumberland Times-News. To reach him, call 304-639-4403 or email acreelman@times-news.com
