Facing budget cuts, UMass lays off 17 in central office

By Peter Schworm, Globe Staff

The University of Massachusetts has laid off 17 employees and will vacate a floor at its central office in Boston's financial district in a cost-cutting measure following last month's $24.6 million reduction in state subsidies.

The employees worked in the university's president's office and central administrative department, which manages a range of services across the five-campus system.

The university also plans to move staff from Boston to university offices in Shrewsbury so it can sublet the vacant space on the 12th floor of the former State Street Bank building.

The moves will save the university just over $2 million, a spokesman said.

"These are moves we needed to make to cope with the budget reduction," said Robert Connolly. "This is in keeping with President Jack Wilson's committment to make budger reductions that, to the fullest extent possible, do not impact students and the classroom."

As part of a $1 billion budget reduction, Gov. Deval Patrick last month reduced state aid to the University of Massachusetts by 5 percent. The UMass flagship campus in Amherst, facing a $12 million budget reduction, announced it would halt most hiring and cut spending across the board. UMass campuses in Boston, Lowell, and Dartmouth are considering layoffs, he said.

Despite the budget reductions, the four undergraduate campuses have ruled out raising student fees for the next semester, Connolly said.

The central office had 284 employees before the 17 layoffs.

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