Wellesley College cuts 80 non-faculty jobs

The college's president, H. Kim Bottomly, said in an open letter this week to the Wellesley community that the college would lay off 44 administrative and union workers. There will not be cuts to the faculty at this time. The remaining reductions will come from staff members accepting early retirement incentives and from yearly attrition.

In addition, the college has frozen salaries for both faculty and staff.

"The decision to lay off employees is a particularly painful one," Bottomly said in her letter. "In identifying positions to be eliminated, members of senior staff and I were keenly aware that each decision would affect a valued member of our community with whom we have personal relationships. We are losing colleagues and friends who have served the college well, and we extend our thanks and appreciation for their years of service and dedication."

Mary Ann Hill, a Wellesley spokeswoman, said the laid-off workers were notified Tuesday and have until today to pack up and say their goodbyes. The college refused to describe where at Wellesley the employees worked.

In addition to the layoffs, any staff member over age 60 who has worked for Wellesley College for at least 10 years was offered retirement incentives, Hill said.

"Over the past six weeks, over 50 administrative and union employees have elected to participate in the voluntary retirement incentive program," Bottomly wrote. "Each of these decisions was a deeply personal, and sometimes difficult, choice. Through their efforts, these individuals have touched the lives of countless colleagues, students, and alumnae. Their contributions, knowledge, and expertise are woven into the fabric of this institution, and they will be sorely missed."

Of the 50 positions vacated by early retirement, a yet-unknown number will not be filled in order to reach the goal of 80 jobs cut. This number will be determined by the amount of staff members who will leave at the end of the year on their own accord without retirement incentives.

With 853 full-time staff members at the beginning of the school year, the cuts represent a reduction of about 10 percent.

"We still don't know exactly which of the early retirement positions will not be filled," Hill said. "It's a difficult process for the college, and it will take time and recommendations from each department to make sure that the reorganization of the school is done in the best possible way."

Hill also said there were no plans to make any cuts to the faculty. "Of course the economy is completely unpredictable, but we are hoping that these cuts will be sufficient for a while," she said.