The University of Missouri system is shaving $101 million from the budgets of its four campuses, resulting in the loss of 474 jobs.
At the University of Missouri-Kansas City, $15.4 million is coming out its budget and 51 positions are being eliminated. That includes the jobs of four non-tenured faculty members of the 18 instructors in UMKC’s popular theater department.
UM System President Mun Choi announced the cut Friday afternoon, speaking to faculty, staff and students on the University of Missouri campus in Columbia where the lion’s share of the job loss will occur.
“We are facing a period of significant budget constraints that will require us to take bold actions to become a stronger academic institution in both the short and long term,” Choi said.
The system’s operating budget is $1.2 billlion. System officials said the budget and jobs cuts are being made to deal reduced state funding for public higher education and because of a significant decline in enrollment and revenue from tuition dollars.
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