Lawrence’s Rider University Cuts 31 Jobs Due To Financial Issues

LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ — Rider University cut 31 jobs last week amid financial problems, the University confirmed.

According to University officials, the cost savings from the job cuts equates to just shy of $2.04 million.

All the jobs that were cut were non-faculty positions. The University said it made every effort to reduce vacancies, as opposed to currently filled positions, and to consider student and other impacts.

Of the 31 employees, 14 were told that their positions had been eliminated due to a reduction in force.

Of those 14, three were offered other positions at Rider. The other 17 positions were currently vacant and permanently eliminated, the University said.

“These are difficult decisions to make, and are only done after thoughtful consideration of other ways in which to reduce cost to help align the University’s revenue with expenses,” Rachel Stengel, Director of Communications, said.

The latest in Rider’s financial woes is being blamed on enrollment dips and delays in the U.S. Department of Education’s attempt to improve the Free Application for Federal Student Aid forms (FAFSA).

“Over the last several years, Rider has made significant progress toward its goal of achieving a break-even budget, and then a surplus budget, but the challenges of the past year, especially related to the FAFSA challenges and enrollment implications, have necessitated the need to further reduce costs and plan for additional revenue enhancements,”

Changes to the FAFSA led to quite a crisis this year, as it created havoc in the admission process, leading to a lower enrollment rate for the fall semester, leaving many universities across the country to plug the holes in their budget.