By Oscar Woods 
The Air Force Academy civilian faculty resignations have sparked significant concern among alumni and education experts as more than 140 positions face elimination in 2025.
The U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs now faces scrutiny from the Higher Learning Commission after substantial cuts to its civilian teaching staff prompted a formal complaint. The departures stem from a voluntary Deferred Resignation Program that allowed federal employees to leave with paid leave through September, but critics worry the losses could damage the institution’s academic standing.
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Mass Departures Follow Federal Program
Over 50 civilian faculty members left the Academy through the voluntary program earlier this year, according to multiple sources within the institution. The Deferred Resignation Program, implemented across the Department of Defense in April, offered civilian employees the chance to resign while receiving full pay and benefits through the end of September 2025.
The Academy identified 140 positions for elimination as part of the broader Air Force effort to reduce its civilian workforce by 5,000 positions. Of those 140 roles, 36 were occupied at the time while 104 were already vacant or set to be vacated through the resignation program. Among the positions marked for defunding, 52 were faculty positions, with 19 still staffed when the cuts were announced.
Dr. Brian Johns, who worked as an assistant professor of systems engineering until August, gave up a tenured position at Cornell College in Iowa to join the Academy in 2023. He expressed frustration with the sudden shift in direction.
“I think a little betrayed, you know, by the government to a certain extent,” Johns told KOAA News. “I was committing to a long term position at the Air Force Academy, and it kind of felt like they didn’t hold up their end of the bargain.”
Accreditation Concerns Mount
The Higher Learning Commission, which accredits nearly 950 colleges and universities nationwide, informed the Academy in mid-October that it would conduct a review of academic programs. Retired Air Force Colonel Kent Murphy, a 1980 Academy graduate who spent 25 years as an Air Force surgeon, filed the complaint that triggered the investigation.
In an October 14 letter shared with The Denver Post, the commission stated that initial review determined the matter raised potential concerns regarding the institution’s compliance with accreditation criteria. The Academy received 30 days to respond with detailed plans and supporting evidence.
“Upon initial review of your complaint, HLC determined that the matter regarding United States Air Force Academy raises potential concerns regarding the institution’s compliance with the Criteria for Accreditation,” associate general counsel Robert Rucker wrote in the letter.
Murphy and other concerned alumni worry that the Academy is losing too many civilian instructors with doctoral degrees without adequate replacements. They fear these reductions could eventually force the institution to reduce course offerings and eliminate academic majors.
Faculty Ratio Changes Under Scrutiny
The Academy has worked to shift its faculty composition toward a higher percentage of active-duty military instructors. Current discussions aim to bring the ratio of military to civilian instructors to 80:20, though critics argue this approach may not be cost effective.
A 2013 Air Force study found that increasing the proportion of civilian faculty was actually the most cost effective approach to delivering instruction. Despite having approximately 1,800 active-duty members with doctoral degrees across the Air Force, reassigning many of them to teach at the Academy presents logistical challenges.
Tom Bewley, a former Air Force officer and pilot who served as a distinguished visiting professor in mechanical engineering last academic year, noted the impact on specific departments. The mechanical engineering department dropped from 24 instructors to 16 for the current year, he said, with three civilians and five military instructors departing without their positions being filled.
“The insidious part of it is those who took the DRP, their positions disappeared,” Bewley told KOAA. “For everyone who took them, we are down a civilian faculty that’s not getting replaced.”
Academy Leadership Defends Changes
Lieutenant General Tony Bauernfeind, who became superintendent in 2024, has maintained that academic standards remain intact despite the workforce reduction. In an August news release, the Academy reported adding 19 military personnel to the faculty and emphasized that all majors would remain available for the current academic year.
The Academy also added four new courses to its catalog of 750 offerings and introduced three new minors. Officials stressed their commitment to working with affected civilian employees to find new positions within the Academy or elsewhere in the Air Force and Space Force enterprise.
“I can confidently attest that we are maintaining the academic rigor, the accreditation and the high standards expected at USAFA,” Bauernfeind said in the release.
An Academy spokesperson responded to the accreditation review by stating the institution welcomes the opportunity to work with the Higher Learning Commission. The spokesperson emphasized dedication to maintaining academic rigor and compliance with accreditation standards.
“We welcome the opportunity to work collaboratively with HLC, addressing any concerns and demonstrating our commitment to excellence in education,” Captain Megan Morrissey said in a statement.
Financial Pressures Drive Decisions
Internal emails from Academy leadership revealed significant budgetary challenges behind the workforce reduction. Colonel Steve Hasstedt, the interim Dean of Faculty, sent a message to staff in early July noting the institution faced a $10 million shortfall in civilian pay for fiscal year 2025.
The email also mentioned a 25 percent summer faculty turnover, though it remained unclear whether this resulted from active-duty faculty moving to new assignments or other factors. Leadership stressed that no Reduction in Force had been approved but hinted at possible involuntary separations if budget targets could not be met through other means.
“As you’re aware, we remain in a dynamic and uncertain fiscal environment,” the email stated. “No RIF is approved at this time, but budget reductions at the DoD & Air Force level are part of a broader government wide effort to address the long-term national strategic risks posed by the nearly $36 trillion national debt.”
Impact on Academic Environment
Current and former faculty members have voiced concerns about the effects of these changes on daily operations. Teaching staff report larger class sizes and additional course sections, with professors often teaching the same material to multiple groups of students. If more instructors leave due to low morale, the problems could intensify.
More than 90 individuals, including three retired major generals, a retired senior executive service member, four retired Academy department heads, and numerous retired colonels, signed an opinion piece in The Denver Post expressing alarm at the direction of changes. The cosigners warned that decimating civilian faculty ranks risks diminishing academic excellence and puts basic accreditations in technical fields at risk.
Dr. Tony Aretz, who taught at the Academy for 17 years and later served as a university president twice, explained the potential consequences. He noted that while the current review represents a procedural inquiry rather than an immediate threat to accreditation status, it signals serious concerns from the accrediting body.
“They could put them on notice for these issues, and the Academy is required to address them to the HLC and say, ‘OK, here’s our plan to address your concerns,'” Aretz said. The commission typically requires yearly or bi-yearly status reports until deficiencies are resolved to their satisfaction.
Looking Ahead
The Academy’s next formal accreditation review is scheduled for 2028 through 2029. However, the current inquiry could accelerate that timeline if the Higher Learning Commission determines that major shifts in faculty structure have created compliance issues.
For now, approximately 4,000 cadets continue their studies at the institution, which maintains a student to faculty ratio of eight to one. The Academy website lists the current faculty at around 550 members, with most being Air Force officers and about one third civilian instructors.
Whether the air force academy civilian faculty resignations will ultimately affect academic offerings or institutional standing remains to be seen as administrators work to address concerns raised by the accrediting agency while managing ongoing budgetary pressures.