Appalachian Law School to Lay Off 63% Of Its Faculty?

Press reports indicate that Appalachian Law School is downsizing to 40 students in the entering class, down from 70 students this year and 100 students in prior years.  At its March 11 meeting, the board of trustees approved "across the board cuts to all administrative units, with the exception of admissions.  They also agreed to a substantial reduction in the law library’s budget  and to decrease the number of full-time faculty and reduce faculty salaries."  Dean Lucy McGough reports that three faculty members have left "by mutual agreement," and that other faculty will be laid off to maintain a 15:1 faculty-student ratio.  With 22 current faculty members, a 15:1 ratio translates to 8 faculty members, a 63% reduction.

• Above the Law, Another Law School Lays Waste to Faculty Through Layoffs
• Associated Press, Appalachian School of Law to Downsize Operations
• The Faculty Lounge, Appalachian Law Downsizing Student Body, Faculty
• Roanoke Times, Appalachian School of Law to Scale Back Class Sizes, Staff

Appalachian will need to amend its ABA/LSAC description of its faculty:  "ASL's expanding faculty offer over 300 years of combined private and governmental practice experience in addition to their depth of teaching experience."

Update:  Deans Respond to TaxProf Blog Posts on Faculty Layoffs