Marquette University plans to cut $31 million by 2031

Marquette University is planning $31 million in budget cuts over the next seven years, campus officials said in a message Monday. That represents about 7% of its current operating budget.

"This means we will need to consider our program offerings, our physical and organizational structures, and the way we do our work," the message said.

In the shorter term, Marquette plans to cut $11 million — about 2.5% of its budget — for the 2025-26 school year.

Officials also said they plan to "reinvest" over 40% of the $31 million into priorities outlined in the university's 2031 strategic plan.

In the campus message, officials said the university is facing budget challenges in part because of the need for more financial aid for students. They said nearly three-quarters of Marquette's operating revenue comes from tuition, room and board.

"Fewer traditional students are attending college, and those who do attend often need more financial and other support," they wrote.

Student enrollment at Marquette has held fairly steady, with a total of 11,373 students enrolled last fall, according to the school's data. A decade ago, enrollment was 11,745.

Students interviewed on campus Tuesday were largely unaware of the announcement. But some faculty members voiced frustration with the cuts and the way the announcement was handled.

Ben Pladek, director of graduate studies and an associate professor in Marquette University's English department, said he was "deeply angry and deeply disappointed," saying Marquette's leadership "has acted toward us in profound bad faith."

“Budget cuts this big must have been known about for months in advance. We heard nothing about them. We certainly weren’t consulted about whether they were necessary," said Pladek, who is also the secretary treasurer of Marquette's chapter of the American Association of University Professors.

More: Here's how Wisconsin universities ranked in the 2024 Best Colleges list

University facing $9.5 million budget shortfall

A March 14 report presented to the University Academic Senate detailed Marquette's budget shortfall for fiscal year 2024, which reached about $9.5 million — even after $5 million was used from the university's contingency fund.

The report cited "the inelegant announcement of the shortfall to the campus" in December, and portrayed the shortfall as "a failure of the university's commitment to shared governance." It also addressed "the operating budget's connections to campus building projects and the major capital budget's lack of transparency," as well as other issues.

Students, staff and faculty have all been affected by the budget shortfall, the report said.

"The cuts have decreased student research opportunities and other high-impact learning practices," the executive summary said. "They have reduced staff in important areas, and they have led faculty to take on increased advising and service roles. Other cuts have reduced support for faculty research."

But it also found that Marquette is in better shape than other colleges and universities.

"While the pending demographic changes in the years ahead may not affect Marquette University like they will smaller institutions, there will be an impact," it read. "As a result, the choice is not between making tough decisions or not. Rather, the choices are between starting the process of making these decisions now versus later, and between taking advantage of a shared governance approach in that process or not. We strongly suggest now over later and shared governance over not.”

Monica MacKay, senior director of university communication, said in a statement that "our Jesuit mission and liberal arts foundation remain at the heart of who we are at Marquette."

"Although we are in a strong financial position, Marquette, like other universities, faces increasing economic and demographic pressures. In December, we announced our new strategic plan with a clear vision to lead us to 2031 — Marquette’s 150th anniversary," she said. "It’s time to use our new strategic plan to guide how we make institution adjustments that preserve the student experience and strengthen the organization. We will need to consider our academic program offerings, our physical and organizational structures, and how we do our work. "

She added, "We are grateful to undertake these efforts in partnership with our staff and academic senates, and to be in a strong financial position to be proactive, creative and thoughtful so we can — on our own terms — maximize how we operate, invest in our new strategic plan and ensure Marquette thrives for years to come."

But Sonia Barnes, the president of Marquette's AAUP and an associate professor of Spanish in the university's Languages, Literatures and Cultures department, said the process has not been transparent. Like Pladek, she is not happy with the way Marquette communicated with staff about the $9.5 million budget deficit.

"This committee did not find out about the budget deficit until they announced it in an email telling faculty, in my college, which is Arts and Sciences, that they weren't going to have travel funds or research funds for the spring semester," Barnes said. "So they have undercut shared governance."

Steering committee established to guide Marquette through cuts

The university's leadership team has asked Marquette University College of Nursing Dean Jill Guttormson and Marquette University acting general counsel Ralph Weber to lead Marquette through the changes, establishing a steering committee to help.

That committee will comprise representatives from the university's Staff Senate, Academic Senate and UFCBFP, along with additional faculty and staff and an external consultant to advise the committee. The committee's members are expected to be announced in the coming week, the message said.

The committee will make recommendations to Marquette's executive team and University Leadership Council members.

The message also included a timeline of "key milestones" for the steering committee over the next 16 months, including: gathering campus input during the current spring semester on ways to reduce and reallocate expenses and increase revenue; reviewing those suggestions this summer and developing them into recommendations in fall, before presenting them to the university Board of Trustees in December. In spring and summer 2025, the committee is expected to gather input from departments and units on next steps and start implementation.

"Some actions may be implemented sooner, and some will require a multi-year, phased approach," the message said.

Steps previously taken to help alleviate financial strain at Marquette

In January, Marquette announced a 5% hike in tuition, to about $50,000 for the 2024-25 school year. Room and board rates are also rising 5% to offset rising costs and improvements. Marquette's average net price, which deducts financial aid packages students receive, has not increased at the same rate as tuition.

Marquette President Michael Lovell hinted at budget shortfalls in his presidential address Jan. 31. He described "significant headwinds" facing universities, referencing budget deficits at the University of Chicago and Penn State.

"Marquette is not immune to these forces," Lovell said. "As many of you are aware, as we think about closing out the current year, we have some shortfalls that we are going to have to close."

Also in that address, Lovell announced the university had surpassed its $750 million fundraising goal in its eight-year "Time to Rise" campaign, the largest in the school's history. He said the campaign, which supports scholarships and other initiatives, will continue until June 30 and he hopes to see it top $800 million.

At other Wisconsin campuses under financial pressure, officials have cited inflation and declining enrollment. Officials at Northland College in Ashland recently announced they need to raise $12 million by April 3 or they will close the college. Others have already decided to close: Cardinal Stritch University, UW-Platteville Richland, UW-Milwaukee at Washington County, UW-Oshkosh Fond du Lac, UW-Green Bay Marinette, and UW-Milwaukee at Waukesha.

Other campuses, including private schools like St. Norbert College and public universities like University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, announced they had to cut dozens or hundreds of employees.

Contact Mary Spicuzza at (414) 224-2324 or [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter at @MSpicuzzaMJS.

Contact Alec Johnson at (262) 875-9469 or [email protected]. Follow him on X (Twitter) at @AlecJohnson12.

Contact Rory Linnane at [email protected]. Follow her on X (Twitter) at @RoryLinnane. 

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Marquette University plans to cut $31 million by 2031