Editor’s note: These answers are accurate as of 8 a.m. Monday, Sept. 8. Layoffs are an ongoing and fluid situation, and details may change as more information becomes available.

The University of Oregon is expected to announce sweeping faculty layoffs beginning Sept. 8. Below are answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about the cuts.

What is prompting these layoffs and program cuts at UO?

University of Oregon administrators are citing a $25 – $30 million budget shortfall. They are now looking to cut faculty in an effort to reduce spending. 

What colleges and departments are being impacted?

While many colleges and programs are being asked to develop cost saving initiatives, it so far appears that the College of Arts and Sciences will bear the brunt of the layoffs. 

Specifically, many foreign languages, religious studies, Holocaust studies and Classics are set to be the first impacted. It is unclear if the current set of layoffs will impact other schools within the university. 

Who is being impacted by layoffs? Are tenured professors safe?

Layoffs are expected to affect both career faculty and potentially tenured professors.

In an unprecedented move, tenured faculty are not guaranteed protection from cuts. This has caused alarm among the faculty union, United Academics, which argues that eliminating tenured positions undermines the stability of academic programs and the protections tenure is meant to provide.

When will layoffs go into effect? 

The current round of layoffs is scheduled to be announced the week of Sept. 8.

Under the United Academics collective bargaining agreement, the university must provide a one-year notice before terminations take effect. This means the full impact of these cuts would not be felt until September 2026.

In June 2025, UO laid off 42 positions in the College of Arts and Sciences. That included 11 career faculty, five of whom were in language departments within the Schnitzer School of Global Studies and Languages.

Will my program/major program be cut?

While it is still unclear if any majors will be eliminated, the university is required to provide a “teach-out” plan if a program is closed. 

A teach-out plan outlines ways for currently enrolled students to complete their degree.  However, it does not fully rule out the possibility of needing to transfer to another school to complete certain degree requirements.

Why is the university building new athletic facilities while cutting academics?

Athletics and academic budgets are funded through different sources. Athletics is financed by ticket sales, broadcast contracts, sponsorships and donor gifts specifically designated for sports. Academics relies on tuition revenue, state funding and donations intended for academic use. These revenue streams are legally and financially separate, meaning that money for athletic facilities does not come at the expense of academic programs, and athletic funds cannot simply be redirected to cover academic shortfalls.

Is the budget deficit a result of funding cuts from the Trump administration? 

No — not directly. While reductions in federal funding and research grants have affected certain programs at public universities nationwide, UO’s budget shortfall predates the second Trump administration. Administrators point instead to declining out-of-state enrollment, rising operating costs and limited state funding as the primary drivers of the deficit. Federal uncertainty — especially regarding international student enrollment — may play a role going forward, but the gap has been growing for years.

Who decides which programs get cut?

Several levels of leadership are involved in the decision-making process. In the CAS much of the responsibility falls to Dean Chris Poulsen, who has consulted with department heads and, in theory, is supposed to consult with faculty. However, United Academics and individual faculty members have raised concerns about a lack of meaningful faculty input.

Ultimately, final authority rests with President John Karl Scholz and Provost Chris Long.