February 14, 2025

Dear Students and Colleagues,

I’m writing to provide an update on budget-balancing work for next year, as well as to share upcoming opportunities for you to provide feedback on this work.

As you may know, many colleges and universities across the United States are facing financial pressures due to decreasing numbers of college-age students. As a result, many colleges have lost enrollment, and nearly all are experiencing a decrease in revenues coming from students and families. Whitman’s strong program has allowed us to continue to recruit excellent students, but, as families are increasingly “shopping around” for the best value college education, we have increased our financial aid offerings. While this provides great access for students, it also reduces the funds we have available to support all of the work of the College. 

As I shared in my recent post-board memo, Whitman’s budget is balanced for this current year. However, for next year we anticipate a reduction in our total operating resources from $97.3 million to $96.3 million. We also intend to make a few key investments next year, most importantly raises for all faculty and staff totalling $1.34 million as well as expansion of funds to support students working on campus. As a result, for next year we will have expenses that exceed our resources by about $1.8 million if we don’t make any changes. You can see more details on the College’s financial planning, including all of the presentations we have given in the past year, on our Financial Planning page.

The College has been undertaking careful planning to be sure that we continue to uphold our mission and provide excellent opportunities to students while balancing the budget. First, we have worked to ensure that all gift and endowment funds are fully used. Second, as faculty and staff positions come open through retirements or resignations, we are carefully assessing which ones to refill and where we might be able to work in other ways without refilling the open positions. Since February of 2024, we have eliminated the following open staff positions. 

• Campaign Communications Fellow (Communications)
• Marketing and Communications Fellow (CCEC)
• Director of Analytics for Enrollment and Communications (Admission/Financial Aid)
• Morning Circulation Manager (Library)
• Archives Assistant (Library)
• Employment Program Coordinator (CCEC)
• Development Officer (Alumni Relations and Development)
• Administrative/Events Assistant (Dean of Students and Conferences/Events)
• Admission Travel Coordinator (Admission)
• Administrative Locksmith Assistant (Facilities)

We are not in a hiring freeze, and have continued to search for and fill over 80% of open staff positions. Faculty leadership proposed that we pause hiring for tenure track lines in the current year, so we are not undertaking any tenure track searches this year, although we have recruited faculty into visiting positions. Faculty leadership are moving forward with the process to recommend tenure-track searches for next year.

Two working groups have been convened to consider and recommend other savings. The first working group is considering curricular matters. It is made up of Professors Lydia McDermott, John Cotts, Brian Dott, Nate Boland and Ginger Withers as well as Associate Deans Helen Kim and Mary Raschko, and co-chaired by Faculty Chair Susanne Beechey and Provost Elisabeth Mermann-Jozwiak. The second working group is considering matters related to costs that are not directly curricular. That group is made up of Vice Presidents Kazi Joshua, John Johnson and Gina Zandy Ohnstad, as well as Faculty Chair Susanne Beechey, students Margaret Kanyoko and Devon Meeker, and staff representatives Greg Powell and Peter Shultz. It is chaired by Vice President Jeff Hamrick.

These working groups have been meeting to carefully consider budgets across the college and develop proposals for savings. These proposals will be shared with the campus community via email next Friday, February 21st, and will be followed by several opportunities for feedback:

• Vice President Jeff Hamrick and I will hold open meetings on February 24th at 8am and 4pm, and March 4th at 4pm. These meetings will be an opportunity for faculty, staff and students to ask questions and provide feedback on the proposals put forth by the working groups.
• There will also be opportunities to provide feedback through online forms which will be shared with the campus community along with the savings proposals next Friday. The form will be open for feedback through March 10th.
• The Staff Advisory Council and faculty leadership will each host their own meetings to gather additional feedback to provide to the working groups. Student representatives may provide a student-only meeting, as well. Please keep your eyes out for these additional opportunities. 

After feedback is gathered from faculty, staff and students, the working groups will convene in the week of March 11th to discuss feedback, and will share their thoughts with cabinet. Cabinet will work to finalize decisions across the budget, and may bring some items back to stakeholders in early April before finalizing decisions. The final recommendations will go to the Board of Trustees for approval in early May.

In addition to the two main working groups, there are special groups working on the complex areas of Athletics (Chaired by Vice President of Admission and Financial Aid Adam Miller) and Benefits (Chaired by AVP for Human Resources Erika Cerda). These groups will continue their work into the summer.

I want to express a deep appreciation to the working groups who have been so thoughtful and thorough while undertaking this difficult work. Our colleagues on the working groups are thinking carefully about the ramifications of each proposal, understanding that each one has consequences. We also want to hear from the broader community so that we are sure we have the full picture of how proposed cuts could affect all groups on campus and so we can lessen any negative impacts as much as possible. Your feedback will help Cabinet and the working groups decide how much to lean into, or pull back from, different proposals for budget reductions. At the end of the day, however, the college must produce a responsible plan for balancing next fiscal year's revenues and expenses. The goal of this process is to create a balanced budget for fiscal year 2026. As demographic trends continue to challenge higher education over the next decade, the College expects to continue to engage in careful work to make the highest and best use of our funds to support learning and thriving at Whitman.

While this work is challenging, Whitman College is in a strong position because of the excellence of our staff and faculty, and because of careful financial stewardship of many people over decades. My gratitude to all who are participating in the work this year.

Sincerely,

Sarah Bolton