26 St. Cloud State faculty members will not have their contracts renewed at the end of this academic year. It’s part of an ultimate goal to eliminate 80-90 faculty positions for the 2011 school year. SCSU President Earl Potter says the 26 layoffs will save the university more than $2 million of the projected $13.7 million budget shortfall for fiscal year 2012. That’s about 10% of the university’s overall budget.

There is the possibility that for fiscal year 12, we might have to stop doing some things that are healthy, that people care about, to balance the budget. Recognizing that these are programs that have produced graduates who are successful and making a contribution to Minnesota, that there are people enrolled in the programs and faculty who are committed to their students and these programs, it makes me feel awful,” said Potter.

Potter says he’s grateful to the “valued faculty members for their service” and that the "university’s budget situation made this action necessary.”