January 22, 2026
Vol. 133 NO. 1
CLIMATE CHANGE HITS CWU CAMPUS
page 4
PAYING WITH DINING DOLLARS
NEW COACHES
pages 6,7
pages 8,9
STUDENTS RESPOND TO STAFFING ATTRITION IN SURVEY Brandon Mattesich Editor-In-Chief
T
he Observer published a student survey Nov. 13 alongside an article summarizing CWU faculty and staff unions’ responses to staffing attrition on campus. The goal of the survey, as outlined in the survey’s description, was to collect student opinions and voices regarding staffing attrition at CWU and how it has impacted their educations. Staffing attrition has been CWU’s chosen method of handling decreased funding from both lower enrollment and a cut in state funding. It’s a process that involves non-renewals, and the intentional vacancy or merging of positions once a staff or faculty member exits their position, instead of directly cutting budgets through layoffs. The Observers survey got five student responses that included answers, which they marked in the form, that they wanted to be published. The following are the responses, edited for length and grammar. The full unedited responses can be found exclusively on The Observer’s website.
Respondent 1 : I am a sophomore here
at Central and have noticed a significant shift and downgrade of teachers within the College of Business since last year. I feel that the new hires are not as proficient in their teaching abilities. I feel the need to speak out because this is now affecting my education and others around me … ... Additionally, what has also disappointed me is how many incredible teachers have left due to the budget cuts. I have found out from many peers that classes I took last year are no longer the same because our beloved professors have left Central due to the budget cuts, therefore leaving an inexperienced professor to teach high-level, important classes. … I chose to attend Central largely because of the strong reputation the College of Business has and the professors who have made learning engaging, challenging and meaningful. It’s discouraging to now feel that the same level of instruction and support is slipping away. I understand that budget constraints and staffing changes are sometimes unavoidable,
but the impact on students is real and significant. When classes are taught by professors who lack experience or effective teaching methods, students lose confidence in their understanding of the material and, ultimately, in the value of their degree. I truly hope the university can take steps to address this issue and the issues others have within the community … Sincerely, A student of the College of Business.
Respondent 2 : It became harder to get
in touch with my advisors and other CWU staff if I was having academic difficulties.
Respondent 3 : I see it all the time in
the Geography, ENST and CERM programs. With aging professors who retire the department is not getting adequate replacements. Profs go on sabbatical and not even an adjunct professor fills their spot. It’s awful, and reflects poorly on the university. Notably the secretary of the geography department retired last school year and the program still does not have a replacement, instead they place the burden on professors who need to be focused on their students, classes and research. I want to tell people to go to CWU, but when classes are full with professors who are overwhelmed or under qualified due to filling in positions that haven’t been rehired it’s hard to be honest. We don’t need all these fancy over paid higher ups, we need boots on the ground to keep student retention.
Respondent 4 : The science depart-
ment has really taken a hit with the staffing problem unfortunately, and the size of the student science department is not decreasing. My favorite teacher, Jordan Carrey, has been only teaching one maybe two classes per term and this goes for a lot of instructors in the environmental science department. It’s sad!
“ THE IMPACT
ON STUDENTS IS REAL AND SIGNIFICANT “
Respondent 5 : I’m keeping everyone
anonymous because I don’t want any repercussions to come to the faculty who still work here that I am mentioning. It’s also why I’m leaving out as many identifying details as I can. One of my professors (we’ll call them Professor A) learned that their contract would not be renewed literally the day before faculty were meant to go back to work for the school year (about a week before students). I only know about this because I was coincidentally hired to work on a non-CWU-affiliated summer project with Prof A at the time, along with another CWU professor, Professor B. The day that Prof A found out their contract was not renewed, Prof B came up to Prof A while we were working on the summer project to give their condolences, and said they weren’t shocked “given how the administration is at the moment.” Prof A sighed and said they weren’t surprised either but they were definitely really sad and disappointed … … I later learned, once the school year began, that another professor of mine, Professor C, was told that Prof A had simply chosen not to come back. Prof C was then given Prof A’s workload — despite the fact that Prof C had to give some of their own workload to their colleague, Professor D, because Prof C’s plate was already full. I was the one who had to inform Prof C that Prof A had actually not left by choice, and while Prof C never mentioned it again, they had a look on their face of “are you kidding me?” when I told them. That facial expression alone has stuck with me for the last two months, as well as the fact that Prof A was only told about their layoff the day before they were expecting to return to work, and that Prof C was lied to about why. It’s unfair to everyone involved.
FULL STORY HERE