The University of Northern Colorado is planning to lay off around 50 members of their staff, going into effect in November, according to UNC administration.
UNC is bracing for a budget deficit of nearly $14 million for the 2027 academic year.
“The waters are certainly stormy, but we've weathered rough seas before,” President Andy Feinstein said. “As I shared in my email last week, UNC has important work to do this fall related to our budget in order to ensure our continued success.”
Feinstein and his CFO Dale Pratt made the announcement about the layoffs during a three-hour budget town hall on Oct. 17. The initial presentation started around 1:30 p.m., but the two fielded questions about the presentation until nearly 5 p.m.
According to UNC, about 700 people showed up to the meeting, both in-person and online.
A review is currently underway to identify which departments or units will be facing cuts. So far, no office is exempt, including athletics and the president’s office.
Several factors have led to the deficit, including an overall drop in projected enrollment over the summer, fewer staff departures and limited state funding.
Concerns are being raised about facilities and the employees that work behind the scenes to make the university run smoothly.
Cody Field is one of those employees caught in the uncertainty of the layoff announcements. Over the summer he worked for the lockshop on campus, tasked with fixing and maintaining the physical and electronic door locks.
“The lockshop is pretty specialized, although there is one person who really does about anything in facilities,” Field explained. “I had the personal joke that UNC is kept afloat by one man, and his name is Chad Dyer.”
Dyer has been working at UNC for more than 20 years, and has been sharing his experience with student workers like Field.
With the layoffs, Field believes that the work will be divided unevenly between the essential staff at the university.
“Even if other people can do the work, the work of two people shouldn’t be placed on one person’s shoulders,” Field said.
In the budget town hall meeting, Pratt discussed wages for student employees and looking into proper resource allocation.
“These uses of resources have not been significantly adjusted over the last several years, despite our changes in enrollment,” Pratt said. “Under these circumstances, it's necessary for us to re-examine those and make changes to ensure that we're using the resources in the best possible way.”
Although Field will be graduating this year, he wants to look out for the student employees who work after him in the lockshop.
“I’m not sure if they’re going to be able to keep their jobs, even though they do a good job,” Field said.
In a follow-up email sent to the university after the event, Feinstein outlined his plan to minimize uncertainty in the wake of the announcement.
“We will continue to share updates regularly and provide clear information throughout the process,” Feinstein wrote. “This is a difficult time for higher education, but I will remain optimistic about UNC’s future.”
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