Dear Marquette colleagues:


                                 
                                 
                                    
                                    
                                       
                                       
                                          
                                          
                                             
                                             
                                                
                                                
                                                   
                                                    
                                                   
                                                
                                                
                                             
                                             
                                          
                                          
                                          
                                             
                                             
                                                
                                                
                                                   
                                                   
                                                      
                                                      
                                                         
                                                         
                                                            
                                                            
                                                               
                                                               
                                                                  
                                                                  Dear Marquette colleagues:
                                                                  
                                                               
                                                               
                                                            
                                                            
                                                            
                                                               
                                                               
                                                                  
                                                                  For more than three years we’ve discussed the headwinds facing higher education and
                                                                     identified a number of short- and long-term challenges facing our university. These
                                                                     challenges are not unique to Marquette, and like other colleges and universities around
                                                                     the nation, the COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the need to take strategic action.
                                                                  
                                                                  
                                                               
                                                               
                                                            
                                                            
                                                            
                                                               
                                                               
                                                                  
                                                                  We have seen devastating effects throughout higher education this year. Nationally,
                                                                     freshman enrollment has declined 13%. Many colleges and universities have been forced
                                                                     to eliminate dozens of majors. The U.S. Bureau of Labor statistics reported that higher
                                                                     education has experienced historic job losses – its labor force has decreased by 10%
                                                                     or 484,000 workers since last February. The American Council on Education estimated
                                                                     that institutions have incurred revenue losses exceeding $120 billion.
                                                                  
                                                                  
                                                               
                                                               
                                                            
                                                            
                                                            
                                                               
                                                               
                                                                  
                                                                  Over the past year we took several temporary actions to address our short-term challenges,
                                                                     partially offsetting lost revenues and unanticipated recovery costs caused by the
                                                                     pandemic. However, these actions are not sustainable; we must make strategic, structural
                                                                     changes to manage the impacts of the longer-term challenges.
                                                                  
                                                                  
                                                               
                                                               
                                                            
                                                            
                                                            
                                                               
                                                               
                                                                  
                                                                  To address these challenges, we mobilized an unprecedented collaboration across campus
                                                                     to identify opportunities to address our realities. In the spirit of shared governance,
                                                                     nearly 100 faculty and staff formed eight workstreams, analyzing budgets and making
                                                                     recommendations for the future, generating efficiencies in spending, exploring our
                                                                     use of campus space and identifying new ways to generate revenue.
                                                                  
                                                                  
                                                               
                                                               
                                                            
                                                            
                                                            
                                                               
                                                               
                                                                  
                                                                  All of this was done with a view of upholding and advancing our mission. I want to
                                                                     thank everyone who participated in the workstreams and contributed to this important
                                                                     work. Their dedication informed the changes we are announcing today, which will address
                                                                     our structural deficits and position Marquette well for the future.
                                                                  
                                                                  
                                                               
                                                               
                                                            
                                                            
                                                            
                                                               
                                                               
                                                                  
                                                                  I also want to thank everyone for their focus on providing creative solutions to reduce
                                                                     the impact on members of our campus community. Based on feedback from campus and recommendations
                                                                     from the workstreams, we have taken the following actions:
                                                                  
                                                                  
                                                                  
                                                                     
                                                                     
                                                                        
                                                                        Significantly reduced university-wide discretionary spending
                                                                        
                                                                     
                                                                     
                                                                     
                                                                        
                                                                        Modified our Tenure Buyout Policy
                                                                        
                                                                     
                                                                     
                                                                     
                                                                        
                                                                        Implemented a new, one-time Voluntary Incentivized Staff Retirement Program designed
                                                                           to help ease the transition to retirement for staff
                                                                        
                                                                        
                                                                     
                                                                     
                                                                     
                                                                        
                                                                        Performed a rigorous university-wide evaluation of unfilled positions for elimination
                                                                        
                                                                     
                                                                     
                                                                     
                                                                        
                                                                        Transitioned positions to endowed funding sources
                                                                        
                                                                     
                                                                     
                                                                  
                                                                  
                                                               
                                                               
                                                            
                                                            
                                                            
                                                               
                                                               
                                                                  
                                                                  These actions significantly contributed to achieving our long-term goals. They did
                                                                     not fully reach our objectives, and as a result, 39 of our staff colleagues have been
                                                                     notified this week that their positions with Marquette have been eliminated. These
                                                                     difficult decisions were made with great care and discernment, and I thank each of
                                                                     our colleagues affected by this news for the contributions they’ve made to Marquette.
                                                                     We are supporting their personal and professional transition through a separation
                                                                     package that includes severance pay and health care subsidies, outplacement services
                                                                     and access to our Employee Assistance Program and the Faber Center. Individual supervisors
                                                                     and the offices of Human Resources and Mission and Ministry are working with those
                                                                     impacted to make sure they receive the support and respect that they deserve.
                                                                  
                                                                  
                                                               
                                                               
                                                            
                                                            
                                                            
                                                               
                                                               
                                                                  
                                                                  The actions we have taken do not involve any tenured or tenure-track faculty losing
                                                                     their positions. Following our standard annual process, the provost will continue
                                                                     to work with deans and department chairs to align course demand with non-tenure-track
                                                                     faculty levels.
                                                                  
                                                                  
                                                               
                                                               
                                                            
                                                            
                                                            
                                                               
                                                               
                                                                  
                                                                  As part of the Administrative Workstream, our process also included a thorough evaluation
                                                                     of our current administrative and leadership structure. After an internal review and
                                                                     benchmarking work with peer universities, we have decided to streamline our structure
                                                                     by integrating the offices of Economic Engagement, Marketing and Communication, and
                                                                     Public Affairs. Through this consolidation, a new Office of University Relations will
                                                                     be created, which will be led by Vice President for University Relations and General
                                                                     Counsel Paul Jones. Three vice president positions are being eliminated as a result
                                                                     of the new structure.
                                                                  
                                                                  
                                                               
                                                               
                                                            
                                                            
                                                            
                                                               
                                                               
                                                                  
                                                                  The past year has been one of the most difficult in Marquette’s history, and today’s
                                                                     news impacts our entire campus community. We have a responsibility to the future of
                                                                     Marquette: to be stewards of the mission of our university, to serve our students
                                                                     and their families and to continue to be a leader in Catholic, Jesuit education. Jesuit
                                                                     education is nearly 500 years old – it has endured by reading the signs of the times,
                                                                     taking nimble action and swiftly addressing changes in the larger culture. We follow
                                                                     the example of St. Ignatius of Loyola and his successors to provide young people with
                                                                     an accessible, values-based education enabling them to be leaders in our society.
                                                                  
                                                                  
                                                               
                                                               
                                                            
                                                            
                                                            
                                                               
                                                               
                                                                  
                                                                  We face the future with optimism, knowing Marquette is poised for continued success.
                                                                     Students attend Marquette for many reasons, but chief among them is to have a transformational
                                                                     experience that prepares them for the world around us. Every decision we have made
                                                                     has been to ensure that outcome for every student we serve.
                                                                  
                                                                  
                                                               
                                                               
                                                            
                                                            
                                                            
                                                               
                                                               
                                                                  
                                                                  Thank you for all that you do for our students and our university, and please join me in
                                                                        keeping our Marquette community in your prayers. 
                                                                  
                                                               
                                                               
                                                            
                                                            
                                                            
                                                               
                                                               
                                                                  
                                                                  Sincerely,
                                                                  
                                                                  Dr. Michael R. Lovell
 President
 Marquette University