Suffolk cut 20 administrative staff members through the elimination of 35 positions in attempts to reorganize the University, on Friday.
“These are challenging times for our nation and American higher education,” wrote Acting President and Provost Barry Brown in a letter. “Many students are struggling to find the resources required to pursue their courses of study. As a university, we must think carefully about the way we operate so as to ease the financial burden on our students and their families, even as we fulfill and advance our core mission of excellence in education.”
“A total of 35 positions were eliminated in the reorganization,” said Suffolk University spokesman Greg Gatlin. “Of those, 15 people were reassigned and our workforce was reduced by 20 people.”
The total number of fulltime equivalents was 1,140 before the cuts at the University, according to Gatlin. While an exact cost in savings from the cuts is not known, it could be at least seven figures, he said.
“Over the past year, the University has undertaken an extensive review of its administrative and organizational structure following more than a decade of tremendous growth,” Brown continued in his letter. “The purpose of this effort is to take a hard look at an institution that has expanded in extraordinary ways– and at times in separate parts– so that we might become more effective and modernize in areas consistent with our growth.”
The university hired outside consultants in the spring time to help with reorganization of the school’s structure and operations, according to Gatlin.
“We do not have a specific second wave of layoffs planned,” said Brown in an interview with The Boston Globe. “…but the consultants are still here, and they’re still looking at the institution. Would I preclude further administrative changes? I don’t think I would, no.”