Western Michigan U. Planning Staff Cuts in Face of Multi-Million Dollar Losses
“We cannot avoid personnel reductions regardless of how personally difficult it may be”
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The school is saying these financial problems could continue into 2021.
MLive reports:
More staff cuts expected as Western Michigan University grapples with multimillion-dollar losses
More layoffs are coming for employees at Western Michigan University as leaders look to cut expenses amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The university will implement staffing reductions in phases between now and September, said Jennifer Bott, provost and vice president for academic affairs, during a budget briefing published this week on Western’s YouTube channel.
WMU could lose another $85 million in the next fiscal year because of the coronavirus pandemic, Bott said.
Further staffing cuts will be part of overall cost-cutting efforts, she said, as nearly 70% of the university’s general fund expenses go to employee compensation.
“We cannot avoid personnel reductions regardless of how personally difficult it may be,” Bott said.
Like other institutions across the state, WMU has lost more than $45 million due to the crisis this year so far, President Edward Montgomery said during a WMU Board of Trustees meeting Thursday, April 23. The school could lose another $45 to $85 million next fiscal year, Montgomery said.
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