Wellesley College details layoffs, retirements

The president of Wellesley College says the school is cutting staff by about 80 people, as the severe economic conditions continue to reverberate across the region's higher education institutions.

In a letter posted on its website, Wellesley president H. Kim Bottomly said the cutbacks include layoffs of 44 people. Salaries for all administrative and faculty have also been frozen.

"By the end of this fiscal year, we will have reduced non-faculty positions, across every division of the College, by approximately 80, through attrition, through retirement, and through layoffs of 44 people who occupy administrative and union positions that will be eliminated. The decision to lay off employees is a particularly painful one,'' she wrote.

Bottomly also said 50 people took early retirement.

"Over the past six weeks, over 50 administrative and union employees have elected to participate in the voluntary retirement incentive program. 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,'' she wrote.

Wellesley also posted answers to frequently asked questions about the budget here.

Among other area colleges and universities, Brandeis has warned of cutbacks at the Rose Art Museum and throughout the Waltham-based university. Other area cuts are listed here.