A labor dispute at Western Illinois University has moved toward reversal after an arbitrator ruled the institution misclassified its library function and failed to follow required job-elimination procedures. The case centered on the university’s claim that the library was not an academic program, even though the work it performed effectively functioned as academic support. After the university laid off librarians in 2024, the arbitrator’s decision requires the institution to rehire them, changing how the university must handle future workforce and program-elimination decisions. For higher education leaders, the ruling underscores the legal and process risk in reclassifying academic functions as non-academic and highlights potential accountability for workforce reductions under existing procedures.