Six A&S faculty lose their positions amid university-wide budget cuts, official says

The College of Arts & Sciences is engaged in routine budget planning as the university faces enrollment trends, rising costs, and financial constraints.

Apr. 14, 2026 at 7:15am

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An extremely abstracted, out-of-focus photograph of a university campus, with soft pools of warm light and color, conveying a pensive and uncertain mood around budget cuts and faculty layoffs.As universities grapple with financial constraints, the difficult decisions around faculty positions and program cuts cast an air of uncertainty over campus communities.Louisville Today

Six faculty members in the University of Louisville's College of Arts & Sciences have received notice that their contracts will not be renewed for the 2026-27 academic year due to university-wide budget cuts. The names of the faculty members were not released, but the senior associate dean for faculty affairs confirmed their contracts will expire at the end of the Spring 2026 semester. The faculty are eligible to return as part-time lecturers if their departments have the need and funding.

Why it matters

The budget cuts at the University of Louisville reflect broader financial challenges facing higher education institutions, including declining enrollment, rising costs, and constrained budgets. These cuts could impact the range of course offerings and faculty expertise available to students in the College of Arts & Sciences.

The details

According to university officials, the six faculty members received notice on Friday that their contracts will not be renewed for the 2026-27 academic year. The faculty include Communication and Women & Gender Studies professor Mary Mudd, who inquired about the status of her job. The other five faculty members were emailed about the decision nearly 30 minutes later. The senior associate dean for faculty affairs stated that no faculty were terminated before the end of their contracts, and they are eligible to return as part-time lecturers if their departments have the need and funding.

  • On Friday, six faculty members in the College of Arts & Sciences received notice that their contracts will not be renewed for the 2026-27 academic year.
  • The university has been working on budget planning since last fall in anticipation of possible budget reductions.

The players

Mary Mudd

A professor of Communication and Women & Gender Studies at the University of Louisville.

Susan Ryan

The senior associate dean for faculty affairs at the University of Louisville.

John Karman

The Interim Vice President of Marketing and Communication at the University of Louisville.

Dayna Touron

The dean of the College of Arts & Sciences at the University of Louisville.

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What they’re saying

“Over the past several months—beginning last fall—we have been working intentionally and collaboratively with our deans and other campus leaders to prepare for the possibility of budget reductions. We recognize how difficult these planning conversations are, and we deeply appreciate the leadership deans and other campus leaders have exercised since last fall in preparing their units and communicating thoughtfully with their teams about the realities we face.”

— John Karman, Interim Vice President of Marketing and Communication

“The College of Arts & Sciences, like units across the university, is engaged in routine budget planning within a broader institutional context shaped by enrollment trends, rising costs, and financial constraints. I developed a balanced budget for the college with input from department and college leadership, and it is currently under review through established university processes. As that review continues, no final determinations have been made, and it would be premature to discuss specific outcomes.”

— Dayna Touron, Dean of the College of Arts & Sciences

What’s next

The university's budget review process is ongoing, and final determinations on specific faculty and program cuts have not yet been made. The College of Arts & Sciences will continue to work with university leadership to finalize the budget for the 2026-27 academic year.

The takeaway

The budget cuts at the University of Louisville reflect the broader financial challenges facing higher education institutions, including declining enrollment, rising costs, and constrained budgets. These cuts could impact the range of course offerings and faculty expertise available to students in the College of Arts & Sciences, underscoring the need for universities to find innovative ways to maintain academic quality and support student success amid these financial pressures.