People gather on the campus of the University of Southern California in 2024. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)
A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF FACULTY at USC’s Marshall School of Business have raised alarms that declining enrollment and cuts to graduate programs are putting the famed school in jeopardy.
In a blistering letter to Dean Geoffrey Garrett obtained by L.A. Material, 52 tenured professors — about a fifth of the school’s active, full-time faculty — raised questions about Garrett’s management of the school.
“There are clear signs of our downward trajectory in terms of academic reputation, commitment to excellence in research and the demonstrated academic excellence of the students which graduate from our programs,” the letter states.
University professors, especially those with tenure, are no strangers to picking fights with their bosses. But current and former USC administrators described the letter as a highly unusual rebuke that’s likely to spark soul searching among the school’s leadership.
The turmoil at the Marshall School of Business, one of USC’s flagship professional schools, mirrors tensions at the university writ large. Last July, the school initiated a punishing round of layoffs to close an operating deficit that had ballooned to $251 million. The school says it has since closed its structural deficit, but austere spending restrictions remain in place.
“People are just not very happy,” said one senior USC administrator. “It’s fertile ground for conflict.”
Garrett and USC did not respond to requests for comment from L.A. Material. On Wednesday, in anticipation of this story, Garrett penned a letter to Marshall employees saying he wanted to "reaffirm my ongoing commitment to engaging openly and in good faith with our community." He said he would host a discussion on May 4 to "address the faculty concerns directly."
Business schools across the country are seeing a downturn in enrollment as MBA programs are losing their cachet. Even elite business schools are struggling to place graduates in well-paying jobs. Some factors include a decline in international students and new barriers to student loans.
“A growing gap in higher education is leaving elite schools relatively secure while pressuring mid-level institutions toward decline,” the letter says. “USC sits at a critical juncture.”
But the Marshall School of Business is facing many unique problems. Since 2021, its full-time MBA program has slid from an all-time high of 16th in the U.S. News rankings to 25th, causing consternation among faculty who worry it will grow more difficult to attract students.
“It doesn’t help that we're ranked below UT Dallas,” said one business school professor.
At its heart, the dispute is between faculty and the school’s non-academic administrators; the letter questioned whether Garrett’s administration has granted academic leaders the “authority and visibility” they need.
“We’re seeing cuts and cuts and cuts, but we're not seeing a strategy and vision for where we’re headed,” a business school professor said. “And I think that’s why people are getting nervous.”
Marshall’s website says the school serves more than 2,800 graduate students. It is unique among top-tier business programs in that it also serves more than 4,100 undergraduates.
Garrett joined USC in 2020 after six years leading the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School. He has since become one of USC’s most high-profile deans and chairs the school’s AI strategy committee.
When Garrett was reappointed to his deanship after a regular review last June, Provost Andrew Guzman praised his “emphasis on making Marshall a comprehensive and cutting-edge business school” and “ability to cultivate strong relationships within USC and externally.”
Tomo Chien can be reached at [email protected] or tomo.213 on Signal.
