Mansfield University today announced plans to place several academic programs in moratorium and lay off 12 faculty amid financial stresses that include enrollment losses and reduced state aid.

Being placed in moratorium are the business program, the education and special education programs (exception music education,) and the school library and information technologies online master’s program, the university said in an announcement of the move.

Mansfield’s decision drew sharp criticism from the head of the faculty union, who called it “a sad day for public higher education.” The state-owned university is among five in the State System of Higher Education campuses that recently warned of the potential for professor layoffs next year. The others are Cheyney, Clarion, East Stroudsburg and Edinboro universities.

Mansfield’s announcement said the moves will take effect with the 2015-16 academic year.

The affected faculty are in the programs to be retrenched as well as in sociology and anthropology, placed in moratorium last year.

University President Fran Hendricks said the move is not based solely on finances. He said State System universities regularly evaluate their offerings, expanding or curtailing based on enrollment, duplication of programs and other criteria.

“These are decisions taken with a great deal of study, reflection and understanding of the impact they have on people’s lives,” Mr. Hendricks said. “Our colleagues affected are all valuable to the University, but we also have an obligation to invest in employees, programs and infrastructure that will move Mansfield forward.”

Kenneth Mash, president of the Association of Pennsylvania State College and University Faculties, said the move uses words such as strategic vision to mask actions that will be detrimental to students.

“A university does not get better by hurting its current and future students; doing so only creates a downward spiral,” Mr. Mash said. “No university has ever increased enrollment by announcing to prospective students that their desired majors might soon disappear. Rather than creating new buzzwords and rationalizations for the irrational, (State System) and university officials must be true advocates for public higher education,” he added.

Bill Schackner: bschackner@post-gazette.com, 412-263-1977 and on Twitter: @BschacknerPG.

First Published: October 2, 2014, 9:16 p.m.