In an effort to address a $25 million deficit, the University of Louisiana at Lafayette announced significant cost-cutting strategies on top of cuts in auxiliary and operational spendings that hit when the 2025-26 fiscal year began.
In a town hall meeting on Wednesday, Oct. 1, 2025, the University’s leaders, administration, faculty and staff gathered in the Bayou Bijou Theater at the Student Union to hear Interim President Dr. Jamie Hebert share updates and address concerns about how the University intends to achieve financial stability.
On Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2025, faculty members received an announcement over email that the University closed the Office of Sustainability and Community Engagement and restructured the Office of Communications and Marketing, as well as the Office of Auxiliary Services, eliminating six staff positions in total. Concerns arose with regards to the possibility of further job reductions and restructuring of offices and departments across campus.
Current vacant positions are also unlikely to be filled, with exceptions to positions that are of higher necessity and importance to the University.
This is to curb further spendings on payroll.
During the town hall meeting, Hebert shared that payroll accounts for approximately 60% of the University’s expenditure.
He also presented that while there has been a $20 million loss in revenue from a drop in enrollment in the past decade, there has been a $40 million rise in payroll from increased employment. Hence, job reductions could lead to a significant amount of savings.
While Hebert admitted that some job reductions are to be expected, he assured that the University will do what it can to reduce a large number of reductions in staff, continuously stressing their goal to “minimize the human impact,” as they acknowledge the role that the faculty and staff play in contribution to the student experience.
Hebert also expressed, “Each position represents a colleague and a friend, and I want to acknowledge the very real effect this has on the members of our campus community.”
In response to a question posed from an audience member during the town hall regarding the duration of the budget realignment process, Hebert stated that the University aims to “hit fiscal stability” by May or June 2026.
While fiscal stability is still far ahead on the horizon, significant cost-cutting measures that were announced put the University a big step towards the goal.
Of the $25 million deficit, spending reductions implemented across campus have already saved about $14.5 million to $15 million, making up for a huge portion of the debt.
Most departments, including the President’s Office, Athletics, Advancement, Student Affairs, Research and Administration and Finance had to reduce operational spendings by 10%.
Academic Affairs reduced operational spendings by 5% to lessen the impact on UL Lafayette’s core mission of teaching and learning.
As further part of the University’s efforts to save money in this fiscally-constraining time, commencement will now be held as a one-day event at the Cajundome with two sessions, effective from this semester onwards.
This strategy is expected to save the University an estimated $65,000.
For Fall 2025 Commencement, College of the Arts, B.I. Moody III College of Business Administration, College of Engineering and College of Nursing and Health Sciences will be on Dec. 19 at 9 a.m.
College of Education and Human Development, College of Liberal Arts, Ray P. Authement College of Sciences and University College will be on Dec. 19 at 2 p.m.
Come January 2026, UL Lafayette will also end its lease with local hotel, Wingate by Wyndham, which has accommodated student housing overflow since August 2024.
This strategy is expected to save the University about $900,000. The University also had WoodSpring Suites as a satellite housing location, however, students residing there were relocated back to on-campus housing in Spring 2025.
During the town hall, Hebert shared that the University is actively taking feedback for ideas on finding additional savings or potential revenue streams through an online form, attributing this to the fact that the people of this campus would have more eyes on areas which the administration may not be as aware or knowledgeable of.
As a collaborative effort, and with changes in leadership, perhaps UL Lafayette will be able to navigate through this time of fiscal uncertainty without further major impacts on the people of this community.
This is a developing story.