Catholic U. Plan, Which Could Result in Layoffs of Tenured Profs, Moves Ahead

A controversial cost-cutting plan that would allow Catholic University of America (DC) to lay off tenured professors has cleared a major hurdle.  The university’s Academic Senate, which includes faculty members and administrators, voted 35 to 8 last week to send the so-called academic-renewal proposal to the Board of Trustees for a final vote. The plan, designed to close a $3.5-million budget gap and stem enrollment declines, has generated fierce debate on the campus about the strategic direction of the university, the marketability of its Catholic identity, and the fragility of tenure in the face of financial challenges.