Rider University Cuts Jobs, Slashes Programs Citing Deficit

LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ — Rider University announced recently it was cutting down on staff and eliminating a few programs as part of its "cost-savings and reorganization program.”

The move comes after the University said it conducted a “thorough and thoughtful analysis” of its operations. The job cuts and program eliminations are designed to the support University's long-term financial health.

The cost-savings and reorganization plan is expected to shrink the University’s current deficit, so it can generate annual net revenue reserves that can be invested back into the University, Rider said.

“With restructuring and cost reductions in all administrative operational areas, Rider made the difficult decision to reduce its workforce of full-time, non-AAUP (non-faculty) employees by four administrative positions,” the University said.

Rider is it was committed to following all rules according to its collective bargaining agreement with the Rider University Chapter of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP).

The University said it was discontinuing 21 programs. “The remainder of the programs have been slated either for revision or other structural changes,” Rider said.

A teach-out plan has been created for programs that are being discontinued. This will allow Rider to meet its commitment to affected students so they can graduate in their chosen program, the University said.

“As higher education evolves, it is imperative that Rider continually evaluates its offerings and identifies new opportunities to meet student needs,” Rider President Gregory G. Dell’Omo said. “Changes to academic programs will allow Rider to use its limited resources wisely by investing in its greatest strengths.”

All current students will have a path to graduation and will experience no change to their current course of study, Rider said.

“This announcement is about embracing our future, and preparing for it,” Dell’Omo said. “For as much as Rider has accomplished over the past 157 years, I believe even more is possible. But to succeed, we must stay as focused as ever on meeting the changing needs of students.”

In February, the University's chapter of the AAUP called for Dell'Omo’s removal and voted "no confidence" in his leadership.

The AAUP said they were concerned over Dell'Omo's job performance, which led to a "weakening of the University's financial condition," decline in student enrollment, and the "near destruction of Westminster Choir College."

They asked the Board of Trustees to remove Dell'Omo as president. But the Board of Trustees said it fully endorsed Dell'Omo and that “no confidence” vote the AAUP vote came at a time when many institutions, including Rider, were facing long-term effects of the pandemic.

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