This message was distributed to members of the Purdue University Fort Wayne campus community, May 22, 2025, Thursday afternoon.
News release from Purdue University Fort Wayne:
Addressing Financial Challenges and Shaping Our Path Forward
Introductory note: This message was distributed to members of the Purdue University Fort Wayne campus community Thursday, May 22, 2025, afternoon. No further information will be released.
Dear Faculty, Staff, and Students:
I’m writing to share difficult but necessary news regarding the financial challenges we face at Purdue Fort Wayne.
Like many universities across the country—especially regional universities like ours—we continue to navigate difficult financial terrain, uncertainty about future enrollment trends, increased competition, and diminished state and federal support. Our institution is heavily dependent on tuition, and fluctuations in enrollment and funding have a significant impact on our annual operating budget.
We must align the university’s expenses with its revenue to ensure the long-term sustainability of the institution.
Purdue Fort Wayne has no choice but to right-size its budget and live within its means. Therefore, the university must act immediately to eliminate more than $6 million from its operating budget by the start of the next fiscal year on July 1. These adjustments will not involve academic degree programs, but unfortunately, will involve an immediate reduction in force of approximately 45 positions.
We understand the personal and professional consequences of workforce reductions, and these decisions were not taken lightly. We are deeply grateful for the dedication and service of all affected employees, and we are committed to providing support and resources to those impacted during this transition.
This is a moment for strategic recalibration. While difficult, it is also a time for reinvestment in our priorities and renewed commitment in our students’ success. Let there be no mistake, our graduates continue to enter the workforce among the best prepared to succeed in their chosen fields, and interest in the university from prospective students and community partners continues to grow.
This fall, we will embark on our next iteration of strategic initiatives, which will be focused on increasing our enrollment and providing the highest levels of support and engagement for our students.
I ask for your compassion, resilience, and continued commitment to our shared goals as we address these changes together.
Sincerely,
Ron Elsenbaumer
Chancellor
About Purdue University Fort Wayne
Purdue University Fort Wayne is the largest university in northeast Indiana and is part of the Purdue University system. Purdue Fort Wayne is uniquely positioned to serve the region as a crossroads of intellectual, social, economic, and cultural advancement. Rigorous academics are combined with a focus on student success across prestigious degree programs taught by more than 300 full-time faculty. More than 7,400 students of diverse ages, ethnicities, and nationalities pursue their education on the nearly 600-acre campus. A majority of the Mastodon Alumni Community’s 55,000+ living members reside and work in Indiana, which contributes significantly to the state’s economy, vitality, and intellectual strength. The university is a member of the Horizon League athletics conference, and fields 16 NCAA Division I sports teams. For more information, visit pfw.edu.
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