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Volume CXXXII, Number 12 |
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Slow economy, budget woes cause job losses
JOANIE TAYLOR & DANIEL MILLER
ORIENT STAFF
Wednesday morning, every member of Bowdoin's faculty and staff received
a personally addressed envelope containing a letter from President Mills
announcing the College's intentions to eliminate 25-30 positions. This
letter, now posted on the College's website, expressed the need to cut
spending in anticipation of the 2003-2004 fiscal year, which begins July
1.
According to Mills, the layoffs are intended to better prepare Bowdoin for an uncertain future. While the proposed 2003-2004 budget represents a response to the unpredictable state of the national economy, Mills describes it as "an optimistic budget that really supports what this College is about."
In order to secure funding for academic and financial aid programs, which Mills cites as essential to the College's core mission, $1.3-1.5 million must be cut from operating costs before the start of the coming fiscal year. Though the College aims to eliminate 25-30 positions, this does not necessarily translate into the 25-30 layoffs. The College will examine all possibilities in reducing positions, including the option of leaving current vacancies unfilled.
The Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees was made aware of the possibility of layoffs, and the potential for reductions to various campus services, at their regularly scheduled meeting in Boston last Friday.
As the Executive Committee expressed support for these initiatives, it is likely that the full Board will approve the proposed 2003-2004 budget which requires position and program reduction when they convene on February 7.
Though official notification of job termination will not occur until after the anticipated approval of the budget, affected employees could receive informal notification as early as next week.
Decisions pertaining to layoffs will be made by senior administrators working with department directors, though final discretion rests in the hands of five members of the administration: Dean of Student Affairs Craig Bradley, Senior Vice President of Finance and Administration and Treasurer Katy Longley, Dean for Academic Affairs Craig McEwen, Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid Jim Miller, and Senior Vice President for Planning and Administration and Chief Development Officer Bill Torrey.
According to Torrey, "cuts will be program based," which means that cuts will not be based upon the performance of individuals.
As stated in a press release dated January 22, "Eligible employees who do lose their jobs will receive eight weeks of severance pay plus one additional week of pay for each year of service up to 26 weeks of pay. The College will also provide affected employees with an amount equal to the cost of two months of health and dental insurance and job counseling."
Despite the apparent suddenness of the announcement of intentions to eliminate positions, members of the Bowdoin community have known of the financial state of the College for some time. With endowment returns lower than expected and the additional burden of raised taxes and rising utility costs, the College is forced to re-evaluate the allocation of its resources.
"It would be a major mistake to mortgage the future," said Mills.
Top administrators stress the necessity of these measures in order to maintain the quality of the student experience. Funding for academic programs and financial aid will remain untouched, and the restoration of the Chapel towers and the groundbreaking for Kanbar Hall remain scheduled to begin in March.
Under the proposed 2003-2004 budget, funding for major maintenance will increase by approximately three percent, and administrators and support staff will receive a modest increase in pay.
Student jobs will not be in jeopardy, as Manager of Employment and Human Resources Services Kim Bonsey predicts the creation of more on-campus jobs for students.
The last round of layoffs conducted by the College spanned from 1991 to 1994, eliminating the jobs of 69 individuals.
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