Maybe we need to hire the president of this institution to replace STRS' executive director; at least HE has the integrity to do what needs to be done! Let's send him our sculpture - it would actually MEAN something in his office!

UT fires 12 employees to cut costs

BY JEFF SCHMUCKER BLADE STAFF WRITER

Toledo Blade

June 7, 2023

At least 12 full-time University of Toledo employees have been terminated this month, and school officials warn there will likely be additional staff and academic program cuts on the horizon to contend with declining enrollment and rising expenses.

Employees from the Center for Success Coaching were informed last week that the university was eliminating the program, said Meghan Cunningham, UT’s vice president for marketing and communications. Those in the program offered individualized support to students. This ranges from time management and technology assistance to advising on course schedules.

The cost-cutting move is part of an effort to reduce spending by at least 7 percent to address an expected $28 million budget deficit, she said. To meet that goal, other cuts will be necessary.

“While efforts are being made to limit the impact on employees with reductions to the work force through attrition and elimination of vacant positions where possible, there will be some employees impacted,” according to a written announcement from UT. “Human resources is providing assistance to individuals impacted by a reduction in force.”

Ms. Cunningham said university officials are moving away from using coaches and are rethinking new ways to offer students support.

Officials are still finalizing the budget for the next academic year, which runs July 1 through June 30, 2024, she said, adding that she couldn’t yet answer questions on what other employees and academic program cuts are being considered.

Don Wedding, vice president and grievance officer for the UT chapter of the American Association of University Professors, on Tuesday released data from multiple administrators. As of May 8, it shows a total of more than $16.8 million expected to be cut from nine of UT’s colleges, with an additional $12 million expected from the administration budget, which would meet the $28 million deficit mark, Mr. Wedding said.

Of those nine colleges, each has proposed cutting between $535,000 and $6 million from their budgets — or between 7 percent and 12 percent.

Mr. Wedding said he doesn’t have data for the university college, college of law, or honors college.

But the proposed cuts have drastic impacts on those colleges. For instance, as part of the college of health and human services’ $1.25 million budget cut, all Ph.D. programs are suspended, and no new students will be accepted. No new graduate students likewise will be accepted in the math department, and some students had offers for those roles rescinded.

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