Bluffton University cuts 4 majors, tennis, jobs

5/15/2009

BLUFFTON Bluffton University has reduced its budget by $350,000 with position cuts, eliminating majors, and dropping tennis.

University President James Harder announced the changes for the 2009-2010 budget during a campuswide meeting yesterday for faculty and staff.

The university will reduce its program budget by eliminating four academic majors with low enrollment in recent years computer science, information systems, family and consumer science education, and family studies. Current students will be able to complete their degrees, but those majors will not be available to new students.

Men s and women s tennis no longer will be varsity sports. And four positions being vacated through retirement or resignation will not be filled and three other positions will be eliminated.

An additional $120,000 in cuts will be needed the following year from the university s $32 million operating budget, Mr. Harder said.