Declining enrollment isn’t the only reason the school gave for the cuts but it’s one of the main ones. I have a feeling we’ll be seeing more reports like this throughout the year.

Jan Murphy of The Patriot News reports.

Clarion University restructuring cuts faculty jobs; other state universities likely to follow suit

High school students planning to major in music education at college should cross Clarion University off their list of potential schools.

It’s among the casualties resulting from a planned staffing re-organization at this northwestern Pennsylvania state university that will take effect in the fall of 2014.

Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education insiders say it is not likely going to be the only institution in the 14-university to experience a restructuring that will result in job losses that take effect at the end of the upcoming academic year.

Clarion released its two-year workforce plan on Thursday afternoon that calls for eliminating approximately 42 jobs that had been filled and 14 openings sitting vacant. Among those to be let go are 22 faculty, which is said to be the most at any one time at any of the 14 state universities since 1979.

Clarion University President Karen Whitney cited the state funding cuts imposed by Gov. Tom Corbett three years ago when the state faced a $4.2 billion budget deficit that have yet to be restored as a reason for the restructuring.

Additionally, Whitney cited declining enrollment, which at Clarion has been on the downslide since 2009, and rising employee costs. Combined, she said the university was facing a $12 million deficit in 2015 if left unaddressed.