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PITTSBURGH (AP) — Point Park University in Pittsburgh laying off 32 full- and part-time employees as part of restructuring spurred by declining enrollment.
University officials said the cuts amount to 3 percent of the school's workforce, but did not specify how the layoffs are spread among faculty, administrators and staff.
Point Park President Paul Hennigan said the moves reflect shifts in higher education.
"We appreciate the service and commitment of our employees and recognize that change is difficult for all those impacted by this strategic realignment," Hennigan said. "We thank those employees who are departing for their service to the University and wish them the best in the future."
Hennigan said in addition to cutting costs, the job reductions enable the university to "better invest and align resources to support the evolving educational needs of students."
The school introduced 22 new online courses for undergraduate and graduate students to offer more flexibility.
The university welcomed its largest class of incoming freshman last year with 629 students. However, the school's current enrollment of 3,737 students is down nearly 3 percent from the 2013-2014 year.
To offset the decline, Point Park increased tuition prices for the upcoming school year by 3.9 to 4.9 percent depending on area of study.
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