When Budgets Break and Staff Disengage: Why Student Support Can’t Be Business as Usual
Higher education is facing a quiet but profound crisis. Budget cuts are sweeping across institutions, forcing tough decisions: job eliminations, unfilled vacancies, and suspended academic programs. At the same time, many faculty and staff are experiencing what some have called “the Great Detachment.” It's not always visible in resignation letters or protests. Instead, it shows up in diminished morale, emotional withdrawal, and a growing sense of disconnection from the work that once felt mission-driven.