SSU -- A Shrinking Ship?

By:  Rachael Kuper, '20

Fact and fiction are whirling around the SSU corridors frantically this fall. At Starbucks’ high top tables, in academic hallways,  and classrooms the rumors and speculations abound:

“Did you hear there was a buyout over the summer? More than 80 people took it! “I heard they’re cutting class sections, trying to push out adjuncts!” “They say it’s ‘cause of low enrollment and it’s hitting everywhere. A few smaller universities in Boston have shut down.”

There is truth out there, as Salem State offered a union approved buyout incentive for faculty, administrators and staff that occurred over the summer. And yes, 82 took advantage of the incentive, but less than 25% were faculty.  The remaining 75% were administrators, librarians, and support staff employees. Roughly a third of these positions will be re-filled.

Low enrollment is a factor that initiated these changes (the number of students has dropped by nearly 2,000 in the last 10 years), but mainly they’re combating a fiscal problem. And it’s not just SSU. Other schools in the Greater Boston area are restructuring to save money too. Buyouts were offered at UMass Boston two years ago and again over the summer. Some smaller schools shut down, such as Mount Ida College and Newbury College and Wheelock. Gordon College up the road in Wenham had forced layoffs in late spring.  Marion Court College in Swampscott, closed its doors in 2015.  Many attribute the wide spread economic pressures to the colleges themselves, namely administrative bloat, and a decrease in the college aged population.

Salem State is certainly tackling their money challenges head on and consistently. SSU eliminated 67 positions last year (and reduced adjuncts by 25%) to close a $5 million budget gap, as well as instituting a hiring freeze.  This year the gap is $9 million, and $6.6 has been addressed through the buyouts. Some say the buildings for sale on South Campus will fill the rest of the gap.

One impact for watchful students to make note of is that some programs are shrinking due to cutting class sections. A course historically offered each term may be only scheduled in the fall going forward. Or a yearly offering may become bi-yearly. Students are advised to pay close attention to these shifting frequencies, and stay in touch with faculty in their respective departments as well as their advisors. If you must take a language, for example, your schedule and even graduation timeline can be impacted. In the language department, the first course in the French sequence now has one section and not two. This limits the number of sections for the later classes in the sequence. Over the years, this leads to department shrinkage.

Departments are also shrinking due to changing program requirements when the General Education requirements began implementation in 20__.  For example, prior to General Ed’s enactment, all students once needed to take course from the history department. Now courses from various departments (Music, for example) can fill the “Historical Perspectives” requirement. Before this change the History department was larger. A similar change in requirements impacted other departments such as English.

There are important facts permeating these halls, and separating them from fiction is to the benefit of everyone.