At least one A&S faculty member loses job amid budget cuts

Mary Mudd, a term faculty member, was notified her contract will not be renewed due to a multi-million dollar deficit in the College of Arts and Sciences.

Apr. 12, 2026 at 10:07pm

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A minimalist studio still life photograph featuring a stack of academic books, a laptop, and a name plaque on a clean, white background, conceptually representing the impact of university budget cuts on faculty positions.The loss of a faculty position at the University of Louisville's College of Arts and Sciences symbolizes the human impact of broader budget cuts reverberating through higher education.Louisville Today

At least one faculty member from the University of Louisville's College of Arts and Sciences will lose her position on July 1 due to university-wide budget cuts. Mary Mudd, a term faculty member in the Department of Pan African Studies, was notified on Friday that her contract will not be renewed for the 2026-27 academic year as the college tries to cover a $4 million deficit.

Why it matters

The loss of Mudd's position is part of a broader set of budget restrictions impacting the College of Arts and Sciences, which Dean Dayna Touron said will have a 'substantial' impact on the college. Other term faculty contracts in A&S may also be cut, raising concerns about transparency and communication with affected employees.

The details

Mudd, who teaches Communication and Women & Gender Studies classes, says she usually receives approval on her Annual Work Plan from the school around this time of year, which establishes the conditions of her contract. However, Mudd did not receive notification that her document was approved, and rumors about budget cuts increased her concerns. Mudd believes that if she hadn't emailed the Senior Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs, Susan Ryan, she would not have found out about the decision to not renew her contract. While Mudd is losing her status as a term professor, she was offered to return as a part-time lecturer, which would pay $4,400 per three-credit-hour course with university-sponsored insurance.

  • On April 9, Dean Dayna Touron notified A&S faculty that 'substantial' budget restrictions will heavily impact the college.
  • On April 10, Mudd was notified that her term faculty contract will not be renewed for the 2026-27 academic year, effective July 1.

The players

Mary Mudd

A term faculty member in the Department of Pan African Studies at the University of Louisville who teaches Communication and Women & Gender Studies classes.

Susan Ryan

The Senior Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs in the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Louisville.

Dayna Touron

The Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Louisville.

John Karman

A spokesperson for the University of Louisville.

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What they’re saying

“I'm so sorry to tell you that A&S will not be renewing your term faculty contract for AY 2026-27 due to the 4-plus million deficit the college is trying to cover.”

— Susan Ryan, Senior Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs

“If I didn't learn until June 1, that wouldn't give me much time to prepare for losing my job. At least show some humanity by letting them know.”

— Mary Mudd

What’s next

The University of Louisville has not yet responded to requests for comment from The Louisville Cardinal about the budget cuts and their impact on the College of Arts and Sciences.

The takeaway

The loss of Mary Mudd's term faculty position is the first publicly known casualty of the substantial budget cuts facing the University of Louisville's College of Arts and Sciences. The lack of transparency and communication around these decisions has raised concerns about how other affected faculty members will be notified and supported during this difficult time.