Central State University will cut at least 16 faculty jobs at the end of this academic year, a move the school says is to comply with a new Ohio law and navigate its ongoing financial struggles.
The Central State board of trustees approved the layoffs earlier this month. Most of the cuts are in the humanities. Professors will receive benefits and pay through August, school officials said.
In 2024, the Ohio Department of Higher Education placed CSU on fiscal watch. The university is dealing with a $26 million backlog in student tuition and fees.
CSU is also negotiating with the city of Xenia to be annexed. The school has unpaid water bills, and is in dispute over how much it should pay the city for water.
Last year, 33 staff members and seven faculty members were cut as part of a cost-savings measure.
Also, the Advance Ohio Higher Education Act requires all state public universities to eliminate programs that have had fewer than five graduates per year over a three-year period.
The university did get external support through a new partnership with the United Negro College Fund in January. That secured more than $400,000 in emergency student support for the 2025–2026 academic year, the school says in a news release.
The money will provide one-time emergency grants to eligible students who experience unexpected financial challenges. It's part of a national emergency aid program supported program through the college fund.
