Some big changes are coming to Northwest Missouri State University this fall.

The university will layoff twenty people and cut back or realign from 19 to 11 academic departments.

The layoffs represent 2.8 percent of the school’s workforce.

The employees impacted were personally contacted prior to the campuswide announcement Thursday, and they have the opportunity to complete the fiscal year ending June 30.

“It is clear we will look different come July 1,” Northwest President Dr. John Jasinski said in a news release. “The University is in the midst of defining times, and during such, challenging, yet sound, decisions must be made.

“As Bearcats, we will keep our mission, vision and values at the forefront and accentuate our ability to focus on student success.”

Effective July 1, Northwest will transition from 19 to 11 academic departments, move several faculty members currently serving as department chairs to full-time teaching positions, and reduce adjunct faculty.

The Department of Family and Consumer Sciences (FCS) will be eliminated, but Northwest plans to realign four of the five FCS academic programs – child and family studies, merchandising, early childhood, and nutrition and dietetics – with other departments. The one program being eliminated from the FCS department is the bachelor of science in education degree in family and consumer sciences, which impacts 17 students. Three faculty positions in the FCS department will be eliminated. These faculty eliminations will be effective in June 2013 so faculty can work with impacted FCS students and ensure a smooth transition to the new academic model.

Northwest also will eliminate the dance program offered through the Department of Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance. Dance is not a degree program and courses are offered only as electives. One faculty position will be eliminated because of the change.

Additionally, Northwest will make changes to other programs and services that include elimination of the summer program at the Horace Mann Laboratory School and closure of the Robert P. Foster Aquatic Center. The University also will implement business plans for Horace Mann and the Missouri Academy of Science, Mathematics and Computing to move those programs to financially sustainable models. A business plan will be implemented to move KXCV-KRNW, Northwest’s award-winning National Public Radio station, to a financially viable model as well.

Jasinski noted Northwest recently has made significant cuts to its operating budgets and saved millions through a variety of cost-saving measures. Among them, the University has implemented hiring pauses across all non-instructional positions to save about $1 million, changed employee sick leave and vacation policies to save about $1.4 million, renegotiated supplier contracts to save about $500,000, refinanced bonds to save about $400,000 and held salary increases for the last three years.

“We’ve held the line on tuition, allowing for accessibility, affordability and continued Northwest quality – while strengthening our financial position,” Jasinski said. “While the plan announced today equates to nearly $2 million in reductions, there is still much to be done.”

Jasinski said the University will continue to address organizational issues and environmental conditions from a holistic perspective and will continue emphasizing the extreme value Northwest provides to students and society.