Citing Declining Student Enrollment, Bethel University To Cut Staff, Faculty

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – Bethel University announced this week that it will cut administrative staff and faculty in order to deal with declining student enrollment.

In a statement Tuesday, the Arden Hills-based Christian college says that staff cuts will be announced next month and that faculty cuts will be made public in April.

Affected faculty will stay on until the end of the 2020-2021 academic year, the university says. Teach-out programs will be offered for students affected by the curriculum changes. Bethel did not say which departments would be affected by the cuts.

Following the shakeup, the college plans to invest in new programs.

"These changes, while painful, are a necessary part of our work to ensure Bethel will thrive well into the future," said Deb Harless, the university's executive vice president and provost, in a statement. "By investing in new programs and initiatives and reducing our operating costs, we will create a sustainable path forward that will equip our faculty, staff, and students for success."

Bethel says it's among many colleges across the nation facing financial difficulty due to the declining undergraduate enrollment numbers.