Restructuring Charges

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2014

Restructuring and Related Activities [Abstract]

10. RESTRUCTURING CHARGES

During the past several years, we have carried out reductions in force related to the continued reorganization of our corporate and campus functions to better align with current total enrollments and made decisions to teach out a number of campuses, meaning gradually close the campuses through an orderly process. Most notably, we have recorded charges within our Career Colleges segment and our corporate functions as we continue to align our overall management structure. The remaining Transitional Group campuses that are in the process of teaching out as of December 31, 2014 will cease operations at various dates through 2017. See Item 1, “Business,” for a listing of campuses that comprise our Transitional Group segment.

The following table details the changes in our accrual for severance and related costs associated with all of these restructuring events for our continuing operations during the years ended December 31, 2014 and 2013 (dollars in thousands):


	Balance, Beginning of Period		Severance and related charges ⁽¹⁾		Payments			Non-cash adjustments ⁽²⁾			Balance, End of Period
For the year ended December 31, 2014	$	3,243	$	3,524	$	(2,885	)	$	(1,181	)	$	2,701

For the year ended December 31, 2013	$	5,574	$	5,084	$	(6,665	)	$	(750	)	$	3,243

(1)	Includes payments related to COBRA and outplacement services which are assumed to be completed by the third month following an employee’s departure.

(2)	Includes cancellations due to employee departures prior to agreed upon end dates, employee transfers to open positions within the organization and subsequent adjustments to severance and related costs.

Severance and related expenses for the years ended December 31, 2014 and 2013 by reporting segment is as follows (dollars in thousands):


	For the Year Ended December 31,
	2014		2013
CTU	$	544	$	—
AIU		103		213

Total University Group		647		213

Career Colleges		1,093		1,351
Corporate and Other		1,087		2,088

Subtotal		2,827		3,652

Transitional Group		697		1,432

Total	$	3,524	$	5,084

The current portion of the accrual for severance and related charges was $1.7 million as of December 31, 2014 and 2013, which is recorded within current accrued expenses – payroll and related benefits; the long-term portion of $1.0 million and $1.5 million is recorded within other non-current liabilities on our consolidated balance sheets as of December 31, 2014 and 2013, respectively.

In addition, as of December 31, 2014, we have an accrual of approximately $0.7 million related to retention bonuses that have been offered to certain employees. These amounts are recorded ratably over the period the employees are retained; $0.9 million was recorded during the year ended December 31, 2014.

In addition to the charges detailed above, a number of these campuses will have remaining lease obligations following the eventual campus closure, with the longest lease term being through 2021. The total estimated charge related to the remaining lease obligation for these leases, once the campus completes the close process, and adjusted for possible lease buyouts and sublease assumptions is approximately $12.0 million. The amount related to each campus will be recorded at each campus closure date based on current estimates and assumptions related to the amount and timing of sublease income. See Note 8 “Leases” for details regarding our gross remaining lease obligations for our Transitional Group.

- Definition

The entire disclosure for restructuring and related activities. Description of restructuring activities such as exit and disposal activities, include facts and circumstances leading to the plan, the expected plan completion date, the major types of costs associated with the plan activities, total expected costs, the accrual balance at the end of the period, and the periods over which the remaining accrual will be settled.

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