WINONA, Minn. – Winona State University has cut 13 faculty positions in a new round of buyouts — the fifth such round over the past 10 years. Nobody was fired, said finance Vice President Scott Ellinghuysen. Rather, he said, vacant positions are going unfilled. The buyouts, called “early retirement incentives” in campus-speak, are cost-effective in the long term even though mostly for $250,000-plus each. Besides the faculty departures, the university is leaving 16 administrative and staff positions vacant. The staff cuts, along with operating budget reductions ,will save $4.5 million and balance the 2023 budget, Ellinghuysen said. Also helping balance the budget is a 3.5% tuition increase.
A failed initiative
The Minnesota State colleges system requested $60 million in supplemental funding from Legislature to help campuses meet expenses. The initiative was lost, however, when Republicans refused to negotiate on using a $9 billion revenue surplus for state programs. Republicans were holding out for tax cuts and rebates rather than spending. Winona State would have received $1.5 million of the supplemental college funding.