The Language of Retrenchment: A Discourse Analysis of Budget Cutting in Higher Education

Abstract

Aim/Purpose: Using discourse analysis, this study analyzed language used at universities undergoing budget cuts. Background: In times of economic hardship and declining public support, institutions can generate more revenue or reduce expenditures, referred to as retrenchment, to meet their resource needs. Yet, scholarship on organizational approaches to retrenchment is scarce. Methodology: Using critical discourse analysis, this study analyzed public communication from university leadership to employees about budget cuts. To understand how institutionalized structures were negotiated, reinforced, and constructed through language we looked for linguistic patterns in the use of pronouns, affective and epistemic stance, and nominalization in institutional emails. Contribution: As educational scholarship on institutional budget cutting behaviors remains almost nonexistent, this study extended understanding of budget cutting behaviors by exploring how university presidents frame budget cuts as a serious problem and persuade stakeholders that their solutions will resolve the budget crisis while minimizing personal harm. Findings: Analysis of corpus data suggested that the language used in SRI and URU’s budget emails was tailored to generate support for university leadership’s authority and plans to resolve the crisis. Recommendations for Practitioners: Through the lens of poststructuralist thought, findings suggest there is room for electronic communication about budget crises and resolution to be clearer about the organization of power and the location of financial decision-making. Recommendation for Researchers: The existing body of knowledge on the language used in retrenchment decision-making is small and triangulation with the literature confirmed findings on a larger scale, more research is needed. Impact on Society: If institutions are seeking transparency, they should use language that clearly communicates the nature of the problem, defines which individuals/groups are creating the plan to return to fiscal stability, and, when decisions are made, outlines the specific details of the plans that include who it will impact and how. Future Research: While much of the research has focused on the impact of retrenchment on institutional and student outcomes, these findings suggest that future research should also explore the impact of retrenchment decision-making on faculty and staff outcomes like morale, sense of belonging, and retention and recruitment.

The perfect storm in the midst of a pandemic: the use of information within an institution's concurrent crises

“…During times of financial hardships and declining public support, organizations can generate more revenue or reduce expenditures to meet economic resource needs (Parson et al, 2019). Reducing expenditures by cutting programs and faculty, known as "retrenchment," becomes a usual and often unavoidable result to allow institutions to cut costs while maintaining their viability.…”

“…In general, though, research has indicated that retrenchment has negative implications for academic institutions by (1) requiring faculty and staff to do more with fewer resources (Carter, 2012); (2) creating negative student perceptions of budget cuts (Johnson-Ahorlu et al, 2013); (3) reducing student support services, instruction times and course availability while increasing student fees and tuition (Johnson-Ahorlu et al, 2013); and (4) generating negative consequences for quality, infrastructure and faculty/staff layoffs (Li, 2017). Thus, it is not surprising to find that retrenchment impacts all stakeholders in the university population, including faculty, staff, students and alumni and community members (Parson et al, 2019). It is not clear, though, how universities communicate with their multiple stakeholder groups during these institutional crises and how this organizational communication can be done better both ethically and effectively.…”

“…The broader academic financial setting of decreased revenues in higher education is representative of the context for this piece. Parson et al (2019) note that higher education institutions are limited in how they can respond to long-term financial issues, because efforts to become more efficient and across-the-board cuts will compromise quality, and there are limits and pressures on raising the cost of tuition and fees.…”