Editor’s Note: This story has been updated since it was originally published to include further clarification from Senior Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs Susan Ryan. A previous version of the story did not include important context about Ryan reaching out to all term faculty members affected. The Cardinal regrets this error.

By Jai’Michael Anderson

At least one faculty member from the College of Arts and Sciences will lose her position July 1 amid university-wide budget cuts.

Mary Mudd, a term faculty member in the Department of Pan African Studies who teaches Communication and Women & Gender Studies classes, was notified on Friday after inquiring about the future of her job with Susan Ryan, Senior Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs.

“I’m so sorry to tell you that A&S will not be renewing your term faculty contract for [academic year] 2026-27 due to the 4-plus million deficit the college is trying to cover,” Ryan wrote to Mudd.

Mudd says this is usually the time of year that she receives approval on her Annual Work Plan from the school. The AWP establishes the conditions she must meet under a new contract with the university, such as the content and number of classes she would teach.

Term professors are usually contracted for one to three years and submit the AWP each year. However, Mudd did not receive notification that her document was approved, and rumors about budget cuts increased her concerns.

This follows an email from Dean Toroun on April 9 notifying A&S faculty that “substantial” budget restrictions will heavily impact the college.

Other term faculty contracts in A&S may also be on the chopping block. Ryan told Mudd that the college is “unable to renew a number of the term positions that department chairs had requested, including yours.”

Mudd believes that if she hadn’t emailed Ryan, she would not have found out about her position. She says the lack of communication may be problematic for other faculty who have not yet been notified.

“If I didn’t learn until June 1, that wouldn’t give me much time to prepare for losing my job,” she said. “At least show some humanity by letting them know.”

On Monday, Mudd notified The Cardinal that Ryan reached out to all affected A&S term faculty before 2 p.m. on Friday, shortly after Mudd was informed of her position loss.

Despite Mudd losing her status as a term professor, she was offered to return as a part-time lecturer, which could mean more work for less pay.

If she takes the part time position she would be paid $4,400 per three-credit-hour course or around $35,200 a year. The part-time position would require her to teach eight classes to qualify for university-supported health insurance. As term faculty, Mudd makes $59,800 plus retirement and health insurance while teaching five classes.

“It’s not really a consolation,” she said.

A&S Dean Dayna Touron and U of L spokesperson John Karman have not responded to The Cardinal’s requests for comment sent on Friday, April 10.

Photo by Sara Montoya-Obando / The Louisville Cardinal