UTA Offers Buyouts to Adapt to Budget Cuts

0:00It's April 9th. From your city to your ears, this is Dallas News today, powered by AI. I'm Cory with the story. 234 employees from 96 departments at the University of Texas at Arlington applied for voluntary buyouts. Officials say every eligible applicant who finished the paperwork will get accepted, with no cap per department. The school doesn't have figures yet on total payouts or savings from the program. These buyouts stem from budget pressures like federal funding cuts and fewer international students who typically pay full tuition. President Jennifer Calli warned staff back in January about shifts in federal policy squeezing resources for research and grants, especially for schools like UTA that serve Hispanic communities across the country, other universities face the same crunch. Duke saw over 600 take buyouts last year amid enrollment drops and funding losses followed by layoffs. The University of North Texas offered similar deals for a $45 million shortfall while cutting dozens of programs.

1:03UTA's already frozen hiring and salary adjustment since July to cut costs. Spokespeople mention upcoming targeted changes to realign staff and resources for better student outcomes, but they dodged questions on layoffs. This move keeps the University adapting to tough financial wins, positioning it to protect core teaching and research without deeper cuts just yet.