Financial sacrifices target the ‘backbone’ of Rider

By Cal Sutton and Samantha Clark

Rider’s March to Sustainability Plan, formally announced in a universitywide email on Nov. 12, will potentially be at the cost of many students’ education and the livelihoods of many faculty members.

Outlined within the 27-page document are layoffs of 35 to 40 full-time faculty members, with a reduction in all remaining faculty members’ salaries by 14%.

Student leadership positions are in danger with this plan as their honoraria, or scholarships, are being slashed, in hopes to save approximately $208,000 through the erasure of benefits earned from leadership positions.

Faculty and students, who are also the “backbone of our university” as senior executive editor Grace Bertrand puts it, are enduring the pain of the university’s debt and going through hardships, such as job losses and slashes to salaries and scholarships.

“In a general sense, Rider was just dealt a bad hand. I guess it’s just unfair that the people being targeted are the backbone of the university,” Bertrand said. “Students, student leaders, athletes, faculty, just all of the different communities that really make Rider what it is today.”

Rider would not be the institution it is known to be without the fruitful opportunities for students and the mentorship of faculty who are experienced in their fields.

Marissa Spencer, a senior social media editor said, “I think everyone here has a Rider story, and a professor that they’ve been really influenced by and that has changed their life. We have so many amazing professors here, and that’s what I’ve realized over time is the best part of Rider.”

The actions taken to save money within the university have been backed by different groups, such as the Student Government Association, the Alumni Board of Directors and Norm Brodsky College of Business’ Executive Advisory Council.

The Rider News understands that the university needs to do anything possible to pull us out of financial distress. We also want to acknowledge that some of these necessities, though, come at the detriment of university members, such as students, staff and faculty.

Senior opinion editor Libby D’Orvilliers, who is hoping to complete a graduate degree at Rider, said, “I want to graduate from an accredited program … So, therefore I understand that sacrifices need to be made … It’s just frustrating that we’re in this position, but I do understand that things need to get done.”

The March to Sustainability Plan also aims to eliminate tuition remission from faculty, which senior news editor Zyheim Bell said could be a concern. “I was able to learn that the tuition remission that [faculty] get, because Rider is a private institution … applies to their kids, even if they send them to other schools. When you lose something like that as a teacher, … [the Plan] is not only affecting Rider students anymore.”

According to the March to Sustainability Plan, student honoraria is greater at Rider than it is at other nearby institutions, and therefore can be cut comfortably. The Plan states, “these honoraria do not support recruitment or retention.”

While The Rider News’ editorial board is trying to hold out hope, we have been finding it hard to feel motivation when our hard work and commitment to our positions are not being acknowledged.

The Rider News staff emphasizes that this comment made by the Plan does not reflect the feelings of all students in our organization. There are some students on the editorial board who stayed at Rider due to their shot at a great scholarship.

Sophomore news editor Cal Sutton commented on this notion, stating that, “It’s outlined in the plan that [President John Loyack] says that he doesn’t see a change in whether students either come here for scholarships or stay here for scholarships, but I have to disagree with that, because one of the main reasons I have stayed at Rider is because of the opportunities for scholarships. … I just think that part of the Plan does not do students justice.”

The Rider News celebrated its 95th anniversary in 2025. The support our student-run newspaper has garnered since 1930 has inspired generations of Rider students pursuing careers in student media, and we cannot let that end now.

We, as student journalists, need to stick together and face these adversities as a cohesive group, but it is hard when it feels like student media is actively being targeted.

The March to Sustainability Plan is eliminating around 20 honoraria-based positions in student media across The Rider News, 107.7 The Bronc and Rider University Network. In addition, 13 Student Government Association positions’ honoraria will be eliminated.

Student media at Rider is exemplary. For example, The Rider News is an award winning paper, holding the title of 2025 “Best college newspaper in New Jersey,” presented by the New Jersey Press Foundation’s Sweepstakes Award.

107.7 The Bronc is also an award-nominated and award-winning college radio station, most recently being nominated for the National Association of Broadcasters Marconi Award for College Radio Station of the Year.

The Rider News staff’s hard work and late nights meticulously crafting articles and digital layouts seems to go unnoticed, as we endure hefty budget cuts and now our leadership positions are being squeezed dry of benefits.

Senior copy editor Madison Lewis compared the 2024 budget cuts that The Rider News faced to Rider’s current financial situation, stating, “If you think about how much hardship we have faced, … we had our budget cut, we had to let go of people … but we were able to prosper.” She reflected that “There’s ways to overcome this, ways to adapt … If we really care about student media, we’re going to push for it.”

The Rider News’ editorial board is frustrated with the March to Sustainability Plan’s detrimental impacts on student media, but we also recognize the dire need for financial stability so our home, Rider University, can continue to allow students to flourish for years to come. We express our empathy and grace to President Loyack in these times of trial and error. 

“Yes, President Loyack sent out the emails, but at the end of the day, he’s just a man doing his job. I don’t want people to attach everything that’s happened, the bad things that’s happening to Rider, the jobs that are going to be cut, to his name. Don’t misdirect your anger,” senior features and entertainment editor Jasmine White urged.

We, as Rider students, need to stick together even when it is hard and when it feels like there may be no hope. Hard times call for resilience and unity. Stand tall Broncs.

This editorial expresses the unanimous opinion of The Rider News editorial board. This week’s editorial was written by news editor Cal Sutton and sports editor Samantha Clark.