The University of St. Thomas notified faculty and staff it would be cutting 26 filled staff positions to assist in narrowing a $10.5 million budget gap beginning July 1.

An email sent to faculty and staff by President Rob Vischer on Wednesday, April 17 acknowledged budget challenges and current solutions.

Along with cutting the filled staff positions, the university is also cutting 30 unfilled positions. The email wrote that these individuals have been notified and offered severance and outplacement services.

Vischer wrote that another step taken to help with expenses was a request for an additional year of funding from “our board-controlled quasi-endowment fund to cover a portion of D-I athletics expenses.”

The email also stated there would be changes in benefit packages that would decrease spouse tuition remission to 50%. Vischer wrote that there will be no other changes to benefits at this time.

Vischer wrote that the university is not eliminating academic programs and faculty positions to close the budget gap, as many other institutions do. He wrote that the university is always considering which programs to add or phase out based on student interest but does not intend to cut programs based on budget in an effort to not “compromise our relationship-centered approach to education.”

An article from the Pioneer Press about the cuts noted that tuition revenue trends are changing at universities across the country. In general, fewer students are enrolling in summer and “J-term” classes and graduate programs, and more students are graduating early.

Vischer wrote that St. Thomas’ undergrad applications have increased by nearly 30% in the last five years; however, with increased need for financial aid, tuition revenue has decreased.

Vischer held budget town hall meetings on Friday, April 19 in the O’Shaughnessy Educational Center with an online participation option and at Terrence Murphy Hall on the Minneapolis campus, where faculty and staff were invited to share questions and concerns.

This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.

Elaina Mankowski can be reached at mank2823@stthomas.edu.