Concordia University Wisconsin will lay off 24 employees at its Mequon campus, according to a federal WARN Notice shared Monday by the state’s Department of Workforce Development.
The news comes a little over a month after university leaders indicated plans to reduce staff at both its Mequon and Ann Arbor, Michigan campuses, and just a few days after an address in which
Erik Ankerberg, the president of the private Lutheran university, stated the university had made the “difficult decision to proceed with a reduction in force at both campuses.”
Ankerberg did not say during that address how many staff members would be laid off, however. That information did not become available until Monday.
“As you know, as part of our planning process, we engaged with a reputable outside firm to assess the university's overall financial health, identify areas for attention, set measurable goals and establish clear benchmarks to chart our progress,” said Ankerberg in the March 26 address.
In that assessment, Ankerberg added that it had become “abundantly clear” that the university needed to “take immediate action to preserve our strength and legacy.” As part of taking that action CUW’s board charged university leaders with “appropriately matching the size of our workforce with our enrollment,” he said.
Monday’s WARN notice, which was posted by DWD’s Dislocated Worker Unit did not contain any information indicating how many employees might be laid off at the university’s Ann Arbor campus, but in his address Ankerberg said the institution’s board had voted unanimously to explore the possibility of the Ann Arbor campus becoming an autonomous university within the Concordia University System at some point in the future.
The Concordia University System is comprised of five independently operating universities located in Wisconsin, California, Minnesota, Nebraska, and Illinois. The Ann Arbor campus merged with CUW in 2013, after hitting tough financial straits, ostensibly becoming a branch of the Mequon-based university.
The layoffs at the Mequon campus are slated to become effective on May 31, or anytime during the 14-day period following that date, the WARN notice states.
“The university will offer severance packages and out-placement services for the affected individuals,” Ankerberg said. “These Concordians are valued members of our university community, and we sincerely appreciate their dedication to our mission. We will not minimize the impact of these changes. They're incredibly painful for all of us.”
Addressing enrollment losses at CUW appears to be a key priority for university officials.
“At the top of our list of challenges is to build enrollment at all levels,” Ankerberg said.
The news out of Mequon comes as higher ed institutions across the state and country continue to
struggle to make ends meet as shrinking undergraduate enrollments continue to threaten bottom lines.
In March,
Marquette University officials disclosed their plans to cut $31 million from the private Jesuit university’s annual budget over the next six years. And in Ashland in the far northern reaches of the state, staff and students at
Northland College, a small private institution focused on environmental education, must raise $12 million or see the school close.
Public institutions are also struggling.
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee officials announced on March 11 that they will be
closing its Waukesha campus after the close of the spring 2025 semester.
That news came about five months after UWM announced the closure of its Washington County campus in West Bend – its other satellite location. In-person instruction at the West Bend campus is slated to cease on June 20 of this year.
