Stockton offers faculty buyouts to Offset Enrollment Decline

Stockton University announced on Wednesday that it is offering some faculty members a voluntary buyout agreement as the school looks for ways to cut costs.

In a statement, Mark Melhorn, a university spokesperson, said the buyout deal would be offered to employees eligible by their union affiliation.

The voluntary program has been offered to members of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) and managers. The university is in discussions with other employee groups."

Buyout Offers at New Jersey Public Universities

Last month, another New Jersey public college -- Rowan University-- made a voluntary buyout offering to teachers. Faculty and other staffers from the American Federation of Teachers union were included in that offer.

The Stockton Federation of Teachers Local 2275 negotiated the buyout plan after hearing about a similar proposal negotiated at Rowan, union President Tara Luke said Wednesday in a statement.

“The VSIP (voluntary separation incentive program) is a fully voluntary program designed for employees already considering retirement or separation," Luke said.

"It is not intended to force employees out, but to provide a meaningful option while helping to support long-term fiscal stability. SFT’s priority has been to protect our members and preserve jobs, and a voluntary program like this may help avoid more harmful measures.”

The terms of the offer and the total number of employees that might be eligible were not disclosed.

The Press of Atlantic City reports that Stockton's 2026 fiscal data shows there are 529 American Federation of Teachers members at the school and 185 managers.

New Jersey's Universities Are Dealing With Declining Enrollment

New Jersey colleges and universities have been struggling for several years with rising costs and reduced admissions. I have a friend working at a private New Jersey university that has reduced teacher salaries by over 10% in an effort to stay afloat.

When my daughters opted to attend college in South Carolina as freshmen this year, I was surprised to find out that almost 40% of New Jersey high school seniors choose to go to college out of state.

Overall, Stockton University's enrollment is down 12% since 2020.

The Press of Atlantic City article says that Stockton had downgraded its admission goal from approximately 10,000 students to below 9,000, according to Stockton President Joseph Bertolino.

In Stockton's fiscal report, the University concedes that the reduced admissions will make it harder to meet the bottom line.

"As such, enrollment declines will have a significant negative impact on the University's overall financial health and its ability to deliver on its academic mission."