Lane Community College Faculty Have Until Nov. 30 to Take a Buyout or Risk Being Laid Off

EUGENE, Ore. — Lane Community College is offering contracted faculty members thousands of dollars as an incentive to terminate their contracts.

Eligibility is limited to contracted faculty working 0.501 to 1.0 full-time equivalent, who must be currently active on the payroll for the 2026 Fall term; must have been contracted to the college by no later than October 1, 2020; and must have been actively employed as a contracted faculty member since that time.

November 30 Has Been Stipulated as the Deadline For the Faculty Buyouts

November 30 has been given as the faculty buyouts deadline in a Separation Incentive Agreement dated October 22, 2026, issued by Lane Community College and the Lane Community College Education Association.

Three Different Buyouts are on Offer

The college is offering faculty three different buyout packages. They are:

1. $18,000 is the incentive for a voluntary separation from contracted employment by no later than December 31, 2026.
2. $15,000 will be paid to faculty separating from contracted employment between January 1, 2027, and June 30, 2027.
3. $12,000 is the incentive for faculty contract separation between July 1, 2027, and December 31, 2027.

Faculty choosing voluntary contract separation must ensure that their written and signed notification is received by the College Human Resources Department by or before 5 p.m. on Monday, November 30, 2026.

The agreement says signed notifications of voluntary employment separation are irrevocable except as required by the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, and that faculty choosing this option will not be eligible for unemployment insurance benefits from the college.

Additional Retrenchments May Follow, Warns Lane College

Lane Community College warns that it may have to introduce additional faculty retrenchments for the 2026-27 and 2027-28 years if compelled to do so. Retrenchments will, however, be subject to at least 90 days of negotiations unless an agreement is reached sooner.

The offer follows position cuts and the closure of two programs as Lane Community College addresses structural deficits and positions the college for long-term stability. In April, the Board of Education approved a motion supporting the college’s decision to close two of its academic programs – Health Information Management and Criminal Justice.