Full Sail University eliminated 180 positions last week, an 8% reduction in the school’s staff that comes just a year after it cut 120 employees for “long-term sustainability.”
The private, for-profit college in Winter Park, which offers programs in the entertainment and media industry, said the cuts were part of an “organizational realignment” to maintain continuity of instruction and services for students. The layoffs spanned “academic, administrative, and operational” departments at the school and did not impact any degree programs, a Full Sail spokesperson said in a statement.
Changes in enrollment patterns and technology prompted the university to re-evaluate its focus, Full Sail’s statement read.
“We remain confident in our ability to deliver an exceptional educational experience now and into the future,” the university’s statement read.
Full Sail employs about 2,100 people and enrolls about 17,900 students, most of whom are taking online courses, according to the school.
The layoffs also come just a month after the school broke ground on a new multi-building student housing complex. The first, 570-bed building is set to open in 2028.
On a Full Sail forum on Reddit, a social media platform, some people reacted with frustration while others said they weren’t surprised given last year’s layoffs.
One employee who was laid off said they cried learning they’d be losing their job.
“I was so, so happy to get employed and be in a space I thought was accepting of me but in the end the company matters most I guess,” the former employee wrote.