OSHKOSH, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — The University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh is laying off hundreds of employees and furloughing most of its staff due to an $18 million budget deficit.
Monday afternoon, the university for the first time confirmed the exact number of people affected.
- 140 layoffs
- 76 voluntary retirements (49 staff members, 21 faculty members, 6 instructional academic staff)
- Additionally, 34.5 vacant positions will remain unfilled
The university says the layoffs, voluntary retirements, and open positions will result in a total savings of $14.7 million.
Additionally, 12 administrators, amounting to 10 positions, are affected by layoff, retirement or reassignment. UWO is eliminating one of four vice chancellor positions, four associate and assistant chancellors, four director-level positions, and three other administrative posts.
“I know that they’ll make the decisions today, so I guess, after that, we’ll know a little bit more,” Dominik Dempsey, a freshman science major, said before the numbers were released.
Dempsey says he’s most concerned about student programs, and classes potentially being cut.
“I know especially in the science department and stuff there’s going to be potential shortages in people to staff our resource centers and some potential classes that have smaller student sizes,” said Dempsey.
Staff and students at UW-Oshkosh have known about the budget deficit since early August. Back then, Chancellor Andrew Leavitt said the cuts are being made so the student experience isn’t affected in a negative way.
“We need to then reshape the university, reorganize to shape the needs of a smaller student population,” Leavitt said at a faculty convocation in August. “We have incredible assets here, incredible potential, what we need to do is figure out how to adjust that.”
In a petition protesting the layoffs and furloughs, AFT-Wisconsin, a labor union says the Chancellor should prioritize cuts to administrative positions and salaries over instructional and student support positions and salaries.
“It’s an attack on education, it’s an attack on working people,” said Mark Westphal, president of the Fox Valley Area Labor Council during a protest earlier in October. “It’s hurting the people that need education or want education the most.”
Dempsey still has three years to go on UWO’s campus. He says he’s worried about the university’s future, and how it’ll affect him.
“If it does get to a certain extent, I would maybe think about transferring if I had to. I know a lot of other students have also thought kind of similarly because they’re unsure about if their major or particular program of study is going to last,” said Dempsey.
Leavitt told staff and students in August there would be no reductions in faculty or academic programs.
The last day of work for the laid-off employees is Jan. 20. Those who took voluntary retirement will finish work no later than Jan. 9.
