Twenty-five staff reductions occurred at Keene State on Nov. 18. Of these reductions, seventeen individuals were affected, and eight previously vacant positions would remain the same.
Jen Ferrell, the associate vice president of student engagement, shared some information regarding the retrenchments at the Nov. 18 Student Assembly meeting. Ferrell said that while there is a separation incentive program for faculty, which gives them the opportunity to elect departure for themselves, that was not part of this decision.
Ferrell said that there may be some shifts in responsibility for faculty and staff due to the reductions, as well as a period of reviewing workload for those affected by the change.
Going forward, the Department of Campus Safety and the Athletics Department will report to Ferrell as a result of new higher-level leadership absences.
On the reductions, Communication and Philosophy Professor Michael McCarthy said, “One adjunct said [to me], ‘Is it fair to lay off so many staff with just an email and no offer of buyout, no offer of a reduction enforced payment?’ I think long-term, it will affect maintenance on campus. It will affect the overall presentation of the campus and we can’t keep going like that,” McCarthy said. “We need at least one or more broad-based taxes to fund our middle and low-income students who want to go to college, so that we don’t have to charge as much for higher education.”
Ultimately, the reductions were done on account of Keene State’s financial cutbacks, as well as the school’s requirement to close a $4 million deficit by the end of fiscal year 2027. According to The Keene Sentinel, over the past two years, there have been $18 million in cutbacks to the University System of New Hampshire (USNH) by the state legislature.
“The budget cuts and stuff like that are at the federal level. We’re a state school, so we don’t get much funding to begin with, and I think New Hampshire is one of the lowest funded states for higher education in the country,” said junior Jack Mahoney when asked about the current financial state of KSC.
One of the eliminated positions was the Vice President for Enrollment and Student Engagement, previously held by MB Lufkin, who would remain active until Dec. 5. Additionally, the Interim Vice President for Advancement Hilary Shepard, was also informed of her role being eliminated.
When asked how she thinks students will be affected by the reductions, junior Caitlyn Baga-Greene said, “If you’re gonna cut down on the meal plans, and our professors, and funding nearly every aspect of this institution, it’s going to be very difficult to retain students and convince new ones to enroll here.” She continued, “If this is what we’re being given for the amount we’re all paying to go here… it seems ridiculous.”
The staff affected by the reductions were not informed ahead of time about their positions being eliminated. Instead, they were made aware on the day of through an email notification.
Bill McColloch, president of the Keene State College Education Association, said that the school was aiming for twelve to fifteen faculty members to partake in a voluntary separation incentive package. So far, twelve faculty members have agreed to the separation.
Some of the reductions were in relation to the ongoing shared services discussion between USNH and its Board of Trustees, following the departure of former KSC President Melinda Treadwell, according to Ferrell at the Student Assembly meeting on Nov. 18.
McCarthy said, “We can’t keep going down this rabbit hole. We’ll never stop cutting [positions], or being in debt. We won’t end up in wonderland, we’ll end up in a wasteland.”
Samantha Menard can be contacted at
