On the Chopping Block

The University of Colorado at Boulder plans to shed 75 positions as part of an effort to carve $12.9 million from its budget, the Associated Press reports. The pewter lining is that layoffs will be limited — only three workers will be fired — thanks to a decision last fall to leave positions vacant. According to a report in the Daily Camera, 33 full-time faculty positions and 42 full-time staff positions will be eliminated, saving the university an estimated $6.5-million.
Florida’s severe financial crisis may force the University of Central Florida to shut down five academic programs over the next two years, a move that would leave 45 faculty and six staff members out of work (not to mention its impact on students), the Orlando Sentinal reports. The programs the university is considering phasing out include cardiopulmonary sciences, engineering technology, management information systems, radiologic sciences and statistics, and actuarial sciences, the newspaper notes. UCF’s governing board will decide the matter next month.
Meanwhile, rumors are circulating about coming staff layoffs at Harvard University, but a date has yet to be determined, The Harvard Crimson reports.
The University of New Hampshire is sacking seven workers, leaving 27 faculty and staff positions vacant, and cutting the hours of 40 staff members in order to save $2.6-million, WMUR reports. The university also has a pay freeze in effect for nonunionized employees who take home more than $40,000 per year.
The University of California at San Diego recently culled more than 800 jobs in response to the state’s severe financial woes and is bracing for additional cuts and layoffs, the Union-Tribune reports. UCSD’s associate vice chancellor for communications, Stacie Spector, told the San Diego daily that so far at least 172 workers have been laid off, while 222 positions have gone unfilled, and another 428 have been eliminated. Spector added that while additional layoffs are coming, no one yet knows how many. If last week is any indication, things aren’t looking good, the newspaper notes:

In a span of a few days last week, UCSD’s share of budget reductions proposed for University of California mushroomed to approximately $90 million from $30 million, Spector said. UCSD’s budget is $2.3 billion.