Dozens of professors have quit the US Air Force Academy since January 2025. The institution’s accrediting body has opened a formal review, and remaining staff are carrying heavier workloads heading into the new year.
The Air Force Academy has lost between 50 and 100 civilian instructors over the past 12 months. Engineering and science departments are now short on staff. Class sizes have grown. The Higher Learning Commission has launched an inquiry.
Lt Gen Tony Bauernfeind, the Academy’s superintendent, says 25 faculty members left in 2025. Sources inside the institution say the real number is far higher.
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Buyouts and a $10 Million Shortfall
The resignations began after the Trump administration rolled out its Deferred Resignation Program in early 2025. Federal employees across government agencies were offered months of continued pay if they agreed to quit.
At the Academy, 140 civilian positions were marked for elimination. An internal email obtained by KOAA News confirmed a $10 million gap in civilian pay for the 2025 fiscal year.
Professors who took the buyout saw their positions disappear. No one replaced them.
Thomas Bewley served as Distinguished Visiting Professor in the mechanical engineering department during the 2024/25 academic year. He spoke to reporters in July 2025.
For everyone who took them, we are down a civilian faculty that’s not getting replaced.
Bewley, a former Air Force officer and pilot, said he was speaking for colleagues unable to go on record.
A Professor Who Walked Away
Dr Brian Johns joined the Academy in 2023. He had given up a tenured position at Cornell College in Iowa to make the move.
In February 2025, Johns was called into an office and told he might be sacked the following day. The termination never happened. But months of job insecurity pushed him to look elsewhere.
I think a little betrayed by the government to a certain extent. 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.
Johns resigned in August 2025. He now teaches at Colorado State University.
His former department, Systems Engineering, has reportedly gone from six instructors down to three.
Staff and Budget Figures
In April 2025, the Academy had 491 faculty members on staff: 308 military officers and 183 civilians.
Accrediting Body Opens Review
Retired Colonel Kent Murphy filed a complaint with the Higher Learning Commission on 1 October 2025. Murphy graduated from the Academy in 1980 and spent years advising cadets interested in medical careers.
His complaint argued that the departure of PhD qualified staff was undermining the institution’s ability to teach technical subjects properly.
The HLC responded on 14 October:
Upon initial review of your complaint, HLC determined that the matter regarding the United States Air Force Academy raises potential concerns regarding the institution’s compliance with the Criteria for Accreditation.
The Academy was given 30 days to respond. That deadline passed in mid November 2025. A spokesperson said officials intended to respond.
Dr Tony Aretz, a former Academy professor who went on to lead two universities, spoke to the Denver Post about the stakes.
You have to have accreditation; otherwise, you lose the game.
Without accreditation, cadet credits may not transfer to other universities. Graduates could struggle to get into postgraduate programmes.
The next full accreditation review is scheduled for 2028/29. HLC could act sooner if not satisfied with the Academy’s response.
Why Civilian Faculty Matter
Military officers fill most teaching roles at the Academy. They rotate through on three year assignments, bringing experience from operational postings.
Civilian professors bring something different. Most hold doctoral degrees. They stay for years rather than rotating out, which keeps departments stable. They also train incoming military instructors and maintain ties to academic research outside the military.
A 2013 RAND Corporation study commissioned by the Air Force found that civilian professors cost less to employ than military faculty.
The report stated: “The least costly military faculty member is more expensive than a civilian instructor, assistant professor, or associate professor.”
RAND also noted the Air Force has long struggled to supply enough officers with the right academic credentials for faculty positions.
Pentagon Workforce Cuts
The Academy’s staffing problems come amid a wider push to reduce the federal workforce.
Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth signed a memo in March 2025 directing Pentagon leaders to cut civilian employees by 5% to 8%. The Department of Defence employs roughly 950,000 civilians. The Department of Government Efficiency, led by Elon Musk, worked with Pentagon officials to find savings. The Deferred Resignation Program was part of that effort.
Hegseth has said the cuts are necessary to focus resources on combat readiness.
At an April 2025 staff meeting, Lt Gen Bauernfeind told faculty that Air Force Chief of Staff Gen David Allvin expected organisations to resemble “Swiss cheese” after reductions were complete.
Allvin announced in August 2025 that he would step down in November, two years ahead of schedule.
Bigger Classes, Fewer Courses
The Academy says all 26 majors remain available for 2025/26. Four new courses and three new minors were added.
Staff who spoke to journalists anonymously described harder working conditions:
- Class sizes up roughly 20%
- Teaching loads up about 30%
- Some upper level courses now offered once every two years rather than each semester
- Laboratory instruction halted during the 43 day government shutdown in October and November 2025
Lt Gen Bauernfeind has committed to keeping current majors through the Class of 2026. He has made no promises beyond that.
Users on Reddit’s Air Force community say the Systems Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, and Astronautical Engineering departments have been hit hardest. One user wrote that some departments will have fewer than half their previous faculty by autumn 2026.
In a November 2025 opinion piece for the Denver Post, Bewley warned that the mechanical engineering department may need to merge into aeronautics by summer 2026 due to staffing losses.
January 2026 Update
The Academy’s Board of Visitors met on 8 December 2025. Colonel Cory Cooper, the institution’s liaison to the Higher Learning Commission, updated members on accreditation. A mid term review is scheduled before the 2028 full evaluation.
Lt Gen Bauernfeind told board members the Academy has established four task forces to review curriculum and ensure compliance with administration guidance on military education.
Murphy, who has advised pre med cadets for seven years, warned in August 2025 that the situation could worsen.
We’re barely gonna hold it together for 2026 and we think 2027 is gonna be an absolute collapse.
Murphy and other graduates have called for the Secretary of the Air Force to pause civilian cuts for one year. They want a panel to assess long term staffing needs before more positions go.
Faculty members returned to classrooms after the government shutdown ended in mid November. Some had worked without pay during the 43 day closure.
Morale among civilian staff is low, according to sources quoted by KOAA.
The Academy has trained military officers for nearly seven decades. Doing so with fewer professors will test the institution. The HLC has yet to announce its decision.
Sources: KOAA News, Denver Post, Air and Space Forces Magazine, RAND Corporation
