University President Pat Long announced Tuesday that layoffs are complete for the current school year, which allocates $200,000 toward closing a $1.1 million budget deficit.
“I’m sure that we’re through with any mass layoffs,” Long said Tuesday prior to a university-wide budget forum in Rice Auditorium.
Long said 23 cuts were made across the university, which includes the School of Professional and Graduate Studies, School of Education and the College of Arts and Sciences.
The School of Nursing wasn’t affected because Stormont-Vail Regional Health Center is a separate entity.
Long said layoffs were a last resort to meet a budget deficit that has steadily increased since November.
Susan Lindahl, chief communications and strategic planning officer, said the university has a variety of strategies including suspending retirement contributions and travel and increasing fundraising to try to close the deficit as well as come out $250,000 ahead, which the university found out in January is now required by bond covenants.
During Tuesday’s forum students and faculty asked a variety of questions about the budget, while university officials took turns answering.
Senior Rachel Kilian voiced her opinion about the loss of Cindy Novelo, director of study abroad, international and disability services, asking Provost Randy Pembrook and other officials how the university will meet its goal of making international experience a component in the new general education curriculum when layoffs included the director of study abroad.
“I don’t think that a group or volunteers is going to be able to cover that,” Kilian said. “If we don’t have at least one person running that, I just don’t see how we can include that in our general education.”
Pembrook said positions that have been eliminated will have to be absorbed by others, especially duties that deal with international experience.
“I think it’s going to be one of the most important things that comes out of general education,” Pembrook said. “We are going to have to cover that.”
Long followed up on the question at student senate Tuesday evening and said the director of general education will inherit many of the study abroad matters since international experience will be linked with the new general education curriculum. The position will be filled by this summer and funded for the first year by a grant.
Senior Jonathan Vaughn asked if establishing a wrestling program is still a top priority, which was also followed up at the senate meeting.
Long said cuts have taken place across the board and doesn’t know at this point what the best option for the wrestling program is.
“The number of students that are being attracted to that look significant on paper and they look like very good students for Baker,” she said.
Long said if the program can bring in a significant amount of students, it may be a good investment, considering 80 percent of the university’s income derives from tuition.
Long said tuition will increase next year but exact figures will be unavailable until the Board of Trustees agrees on an amount.
Incoming freshman also will see tuition discount rates decline, however current students’ scholarships shouldn’t be affected.
Baker’s discount rate is about 20 percent higher than other private colleges in the area, Long said.
