August 10, 2009

Colleges Try to Preserve Student Services as Money Gets Tighter

Michele Martinez, U. of Toledo

In an effort to see that the layoffs of six student-affairs staff members this spring have the least possible impact, the U. of Toledo invited students to a retreat with the remaining staff members to prepare for the coming semester.

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By Ashley C. Killough

With state budget cuts pushing public institutions to tighten their belts, staff members on the front lines of helping students are feeling the squeeze.

At South Carolina State University, where 12 employees were laid off in July, three of the four staff members in the student-life department lost their jobs. Cora B. Calloway, a program assistant who had been with the university for six years, was one of them.

"We held the key positions in making sure the office runs smoothly