(APRIL 12, 2021) Western Oregon University is 165 years old. It is in the small city of Monmouth. The university has a problem. It has fewer students now because of COVID-19.
The number of students dropped 25% from 2011 to 2020. That means there is less money to operate the university. Leaders say they did not want to raise tuition.
So the university is stopping some programs. More than a dozen teachers will lose work. More than 50 other employees will lose their jobs.
Many teachers and students are unhappy. The cuts are too much, they say. They think the university will become a place to train for a job instead of receiving a strong education.