HARTWICK REDUCES

WORKFORCE BY 18

Editor’s Note:  This is a new version of the story, revised to correct errors in the first posting.

ONEONTA – Hartwick College is eliminating 23 non-faculty positions – five that are vacant and 18 that are filled – to close an estimated $1.68 million shortfall in the 2015-16 academic year, college President Margaret L. Drugovich announced.

Also, five year-’round employees are having their positions reduced to nine, 10 or 11 months, the announcement said.

Eliminating the positions will help recoup $1.47 million of the $1.68 million budget shortfall, the college said.

The college will also make targeted reductions in non-personnel operating expenses.

The strategy, unanimously endorsed by the college’s Board of Trustees this week, is effective immediately.

Projected lower enrollment for the 2015-16 academic year, fueled by a change in demographic trends in New York and other key recruiting states for the college, as well as a shift in student interests, was cited to be the primary driver for the needed modifications to the budget.

The projected smaller first year class will result in an overall enrollment below both the college’s budget target for the 2015-16 academic year and below the college’s average enrollment over the last 10 academic years. Revenue from tuition and fees are the college’s primary economic engine, funding academic programs, co-curricular programs, athletic programs and teaching and non-teaching professional positions. The College also funds significant financial assistance for its students.

“The vice presidents and I have worked over these last two months to determine the best approach to bridging this projected budget gap while maintaining the quality of the academic experience,” Drugovich was quoted as saying. “These changes will allow us to maintain the quality of programs at Hartwick as well as our financial strength.”

“Though this reduction in force represents a small proportion of our 395 full and part-time employees, every employee counts in our Hartwick community,” she said. “Our employees are valued friends and colleagues, and each makes important contributions to the college’s success.  The

elimination of these roles is not a reflection on the performance of the impacted employees, and we are encouraging them to apply for future positions that may become available at the college.”

“Though budget adjustments and resource reallocation have become common in higher education,” Drugovich noted, “they must always be done with an eye to protecting our timeless core values.  At the same time we must, and will, remain flexible and adapt to changes in our environment, actively crafting the College’s future.  Having taken definitive action on this projected budget challenge, we will now continue with our planning efforts to build an even stronger and more sustainable Hartwick.”