NMSU cuts almost 300 vacant faculty, staff positions

New Mexico State University has cut 289 vacant staff and faculty positions since implementing a hiring freeze in March.

The Albuquerque Journal reports (http://goo.gl/TTBcmY ) that as the school deals with falling enrollment, administrators are looking to cut costs. The university saw a $9.1 million reduction in its $690.5 million operating budget for fiscal year 2016.

NMSU’s main campus saw its student body shrink 14 percent this fall to 15,490 students from peak enrollment in 2011 of 18,024. As enrollment shrinks, so does university revenue.

Earlier this month, the University of New Mexico announced plans to cut 100 vacant positions in response to lower enrollment numbers. UNM President Bob Frank says the cuts are necessary in order to shrink the school to correct size in light of a smaller student body.

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Information from: Albuquerque Journal, http://www.abqjournal.com