USC faculty, staff to go 'apeshit' about planned benefit cuts

USC plans to significantly cut key benefits that pay college tuition for the children of faculty and staff, according to interviews and documents obtained by Morning, Trojan.

The school has not officially announced the cuts to all its employees, but plans to do so next week.

“It’s truly seismic,” said James Moore, a professor emeritus who was present at a Faculty Senate meeting where the cuts were presented. “They’re going to go absolutely apeshit.”

At question is the school’s long-running Tuition Assistance Benefits program.

As it currently stands, USC will fully fund undergraduate tuition for all the children of most full-time faculty and staff. That will not change under the cuts, according to documents viewed by Morning, Trojan.

The school, however, will no longer pay for the 72 graduate units it currently offers if employees choose to pass up on undergraduate aid.

Multiple faculty members told Morning, Trojan in interviews that they chose to forgo tuition assistance for their children’s ongoing undergraduate degrees and instead saved it for graduate school. They will no longer be able to cash in on that benefit under the planned cuts.

USC also currently promises to pay tuition for the children of employees who work at the school for more than 15 years, even if they later leave their jobs. That benefit is now on the chopping block, too, which will in theory penalize the university’s most loyal employees.

“They have had the rug pulled out from under them,” Moore said of employees hoping to cash in on the 15-year benefit. “They’ve invested many years and they’ll have to invest many more than they planned on the job.”

Children who currently enjoy the 15-year benefit, though, will continue to receive it through completion of their degree.

The planned cuts will also axe assistance for graduate certificates, lower the maximum age for children eligible to receive the benefits, and trim assistance for spouses of employees.

No staff or non-tenured faculty contacted by Morning, Trojan were willing to discuss the cuts on the record for fear of retribution.

“I’m pissed off — but not surprised,” said one faculty member, adding that there has been an “erosion of benefits” and USC’s professed values over the last several years.

“It has been the talk of the faculty and staff,” said another faculty member. “Emotions are running high. It’s created a lot of anxiety among the employees of the university.”

Multiple USC faculty members said they’ve heard rumors of the cuts since at least last Wednesday. They were announced at a Staff Assembly meeting as well as the Faculty Senate meeting last week, according to people familiar with the matter.

A common word used in conversations with Morning, Trojan was “livid.”

In a statement, USC indicated that it has not yet finalized the cuts.

“Like most organizations, we evaluate our operations to ensure our long-term financial resilience,” the university wrote. “We have been evaluating changes, including to our Tuition Assistance Benefit, and plan to finalize and announce those next week.”

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