Penn’s School of Social Policy & Practice will reduce its staff by 8% amid budget constraints, SP2 Dean Sara Bachman announced in an Oct. 27 email.
Last week, SP2 initiated the layoff process in a move that Bachman’s email characterized as a “painful decision.” The layoffs come as a result of schoolwide staff restructuring following “collective efforts to creatively adapt and grow” in the face of budget challenges and a decline in student enrollment numbers.
“We have utilized multiple strategies to address the resulting budgetary challenges we face, including careful review of all aspects of the budget, consolidation and realignment of services, reinforcement of established policies, and a new hiring review process,” Bachman wrote.
According to Bachman, “these strategies were not enough,” which led to the school’s decision to begin an employee reduction process “to better align our staffing and resources with current enrollment and financial realities to build a strong, sustainable future.”
A spokesperson for the Provost’s Office directed The Daily Pennsylvanian’s request for comment to SP2. A spokesperson for SP2 declined to comment.
The layoffs come amid a wider implementation of cost-cutting measures across the University. At a June University Board of Trustees Budget and Finance Committee meeting, Executive Vice President Mark Dingfield described the University’s “cautious” budget plan for the current academic year as a reaction to a "rather significant external financial uncertainty.”
At the meeting, Vice President for Budget Planning and Analysis Trevor Lewis said that Penn has initiated proactive hiring freezes and discretionary spending cuts as a result. He added that the University’s decision to reduce graduate program admissions has also “worked” to control costs.
SP2 Student Government President Yibo Zhou sent an email to the school’s student community regarding the layoffs and led an emergency meeting of the student government’s executive board.
“I understand that this news has created uncertainty and may have disrupted parts of student and academic life,” Zhou wrote on Nov. 2. “We are waiting for further information from the administration, and I remain confident that the Dean’s Office and OSA will provide transparent and thoughtful communication as next steps unfold.”
Zhou stated that the board “will continue to work closely with” the Office of Student Affairs, the Office of the SP2 Dean, and faculty members.
In September, Bachman was reappointed as SP2’s dean for a second term. Prior to her reappointment, SP2 students expressed mixed reactions to Bachman’s leadership in June interviews with the DP.
“We recognize that these changes may take time to adjust to as responsibilities evolve,” Bachman wrote in the Oct. 27 email. “We appreciate your flexibility and collaboration as we navigate this transition together. Moving forward, we will emerge from this period financially healthier and positioned well for future success.”
