University of Utah plans layoffs after consulting reviews

Overview

Updated 5 hours ago

The University of Utah plans to cut hundreds of staff positions over the next year, the Salt Lake Tribune first reported Tuesday. The cuts follow operational reviews by Huron and McKinsey, national consulting firms with a track record of recommending staff reductions.

The reductions target the university's roughly 5,700 non-faculty, non-clinical employees, with a projected 5-15% workforce shrink. University leaders call the effort modernization, saying it positions the U to weather enrollment decline and reduced federal research funding.

Why it matters

One of Utah's largest employers plans to cut hundreds of jobs, signaling how enrollment decline and funding cuts are forcing universities to shrink staffing.

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Key Indicators

5-15%

Projected non-faculty workforce reduction

University expects its roughly 5,700 non-faculty, non-clinical positions to shrink by this range by June 2027.

285-855

Positions at risk

Range of staff jobs that could be eliminated as work is consolidated, simplified, or automated.

47,000

Total University of Utah employees

Full-time and part-time positions across the university, including health care.

Voices

Curated perspectives — historical figures and your fellow readers.

Ever wondered what historical figures would say about today's headlines?

People Involved

Taylor Randall

President, University of Utah

Leading the modernization effort

Gary McArthur

Chief Financial Officer, University of Utah

Managing the budgeting side of the reduction

Jeff Herring

Chief Human Resources Officer, University of Utah

Overseeing the workforce reduction process

Courtney Tanner

Higher education reporter, Salt Lake Tribune

Reported the layoff plans

Organizations Involved

University of Utah

Public research university

Planning workforce reduction as part of modernization

Flagship public university in Salt Lake City with about 47,000 employees and a 176-year history.

Huron

Consulting firm

Advised University of Utah on operational efficiency

Chicago-based consultancy that works heavily with universities and hospitals on cost-cutting.

McKinsey & Company

Consulting firm

Advised University of Utah on modernization

Global management consultancy known for recommending workforce cuts to public sector clients.

The Salt Lake Tribune

News organization

Reported on the planned layoffs

Nonprofit local newsroom covering Utah that broke the layoff story.

Timeline

1 event Latest: Today

September 2026
Tribune reports University of Utah layoffs after consultant reviews
Today News Report

Salt Lake Tribune revealed the university plans to cut hundreds of staff after seeking advice from Huron and McKinsey, both known for recommending staff cuts.
Today

Scenarios

University cuts 300-800 staff positions by June 2027

Likely Resolves by Q2 2027

Discussed by: University officials, Salt Lake Tribune

The modernization effort proceeds as planned. The university consolidates administrative functions, centralizes HR and IT, and eliminates a net total in the 5-15% range of its non-faculty workforce, with some losses absorbed through attrition and retirement. The bulk of the changes land by the end of fiscal year 2027.

Staff and faculty pushback forces scaled-back cuts

Possible Resolves by Q2 2027

Discussed by: University faculty senate, employee unions

Facing faculty no-confidence votes or public backlash over the scale of the cuts, university leaders narrow the scope. They keep some positions by shifting them to clinical or research funding, or slow the timeline, landing below the 5% minimum projected for the non-faculty workforce.

Cuts deepen and extend beyond 15% or into faculty

Possible Resolves by Q2 2027

Discussed by: Higher education analysts, faculty groups

Budget pressure worsens as federal research funding drops further or enrollment falls faster than projected. The university expands the reduction beyond the 855 upper bound, or begins eliminating faculty lines, triggering broader academic program review.

Historical Context

2 moments from history that rhyme with this story — and how they unfolded.

2020-2030

The enrollment cliff (2025-2030)

Demographers projected a sharp drop in the U.S. college-age population starting in the mid-2020s, driven by lower birth rates during the 2008 recession. Several universities, including the University of Utah, now forecast multi-year enrollment declines.

Then

Universities nationwide began cutting programs, freezing hiring, and restructuring operations to prepare for lower tuition revenue.

Now

The enrollment cliff has accelerated consolidation and workforce reductions across American higher education.

Why this matters now

The University of Utah projects its own enrollment drop starting in 2032, a key reason its leaders say they are cutting staff now from a position of strength.

August-September 2023

West Virginia University program cuts (2023)

West Virginia University proposed eliminating 32 academic programs and 169 faculty positions to close a $75 million budget gap tied to a decade of enrollment decline. Faculty voted no confidence in the president.

Then

The board cut 12 of 32 targeted programs and reduced, but did not eliminate, the faculty positions, after national backlash.

Now

The case became a warning to public flagships about the political cost of structural cuts made under enrollment pressure.

Why this matters now

Like WVU, the University of Utah is a public flagship using budget pressure to justify structural staff cuts. WVU shows how quickly such moves can trigger faculty revolt and public scrutiny.