All three academic deans at the University of Baltimore have announced their departures in the last month, as the struggling institution continues to lose students and money.

Raju Balakrishnan, dean of the university’s Merrick School of Business, announced his retirement Thursday morning. He is following Roger Hartley, the dean of the College of Public Affairs, who stepped down last month, and Christine Spencer, dean of the Yale Gordon College of Arts and Sciences, who announced her impending exit last month.

University President Kurt Schmoke shared the news of the departures in emails to faculty, staff and students reviewed by The Banner.

In a statement Thursday evening, Schmoke said the university “is dealing with a completely normal amount of change.”

“These departures will take place over a period of about a year,” Schmoke wrote. “Our schools are in good hands, and the university is operating without any issues.”

The leadership shake-ups come as the Mount Vernon-based institution faces an uncertain future. Enrollment has fallen by nearly half over the last 10 years, and the public university has been navigating a swollen structural deficit for years. Last summer, leaders announced UBalt would consolidate majors such as English and history.

On top of that, Schmoke, the former mayor of Baltimore, is pushing a new idea: consolidating with Baltimore City Community College, another struggling institution. Schmoke envisions folding BCCC into the University of Baltimore as a formal division, akin to its law school and graduate and professional program. The news was not well received by faculty at the community college, whose union representative said they were “blindsided.” Faculty at the university have declined interviews about the idea.

There are two interim leaders in place, Schmoke wrote in his statement to The Banner, and the university will conduct searches for permanent replacements. “We’ll get some great candidates,” he added.

Ivan Sascha Sheehan, a longtime faculty member, is serving as interim dean of the College of Public Affairs, according to the university website, which still lists Spencer and Balakrishnan as active deans.

Schmoke, in his statement, said the changes were not “sudden, unexpected or problematic,” adding that the news of the shifts in leadership has been “well received by both faculty and staff.”

Balakrishnan, who started at the university in 2023, and Spencer, who joined the UBalt faculty in 2007, vowed to stay in their positions through the end of the spring semester. Both will teach for at least part of the 2026-27 academic year.

Hartley is on leave from the university, where he served as dean of the College of Public Affairs for 10 years. He is president-elect of the American Society for Public Administration.

The business school, College of Arts and Sciences and College of Public Affairs are the main academic units of the university serving undergraduates. The University of Baltimore also has a law school for graduate students. Its dean, LaVonda N. Reed, began her role in 2024.

The departing deans did not immediately respond to requests for comment Thursday.

This article has been updated to add comments from University of Baltimore President Kurt Schmoke.

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