Dear Shocker community,
Welcome back to a new semester at Wichita State. I hope you had a restful break and meaningful time with family and friends.
As we begin a new semester, our work continues with clear priorities, a shared sense of purpose and a commitment to steady progress. In December I shared that as part of the university’s budget planning for the current and next fiscal years, we were preparing for a 3% General Use (GU) budget reduction for FY 2027, with the possibility of additional adjustments.
Based on updated projections — including a possible additional 3-5% reduction in state funding and the projected continued decline in revenues driven by further decreases in international enrollment — we must now revise that outlook. At this time, we are planning for a 7% budget reduction next fiscal year.
The specific budget reduction steps will look different across divisions, and this will likely require an additional reduction in our workforce in some areas. I recognize how difficult and personal these decisions are for our campus community. We will be working with our campus leaders to make thoughtful, responsible choices about how to best allocate resources in their areas while continuing to deliver strong outcomes for our students.
As I previously shared, higher education as a whole continues to face sustained financial pressures, and further changes in student visa policies have led to declines in international enrollment, a trend we anticipate will continue. These factors are unfolding alongside broader, well‑documented national challenges in public higher education.
The reality is that we must adapt to continue to fulfill our mission for our students and our community. At the same time, we must remain focused on the initiatives that will position our university for long-term growth and success. These include investments in strategic enrollment management plans, paid applied learning for students, partnership initiatives as part of our Innovation Campus and Wichita Biomedical Campus, and supporting our Shocker student-athletes.
As we continue this work, I am deeply grateful for the resilience, professionalism and dedication of our campus community. Together, we will navigate these challenges and ensure that Wichita State is well positioned for the future.
Sincerely,
President Rick Muma
