NORMAN, Okla. (AP) - The University of Oklahoma is eliminating 50 staff positions as part of efforts to reduce expenses.
President James Gallogly informed faculty and staff of the cuts in an email Thursday.
“Moving toward a balanced budget is essential if we are to control tuition costs for our students, afford employee raises to ensure competitive salaries and be prudent stewards of taxpayer and donor funds,” he said. “Tuition and fees increased almost 25 percent over the past five years, which is not sustainable. We must continue to grow a world-class institution focused on our students and their success.”
The cuts primarily involve the Norman campus, according to a news release, though details of which departments or programs are affected haven’t yet been provided.
No further reductions are expected during 2018, Gallogly said.
The move is the first phase of cuts as departmental efficiency plans are reviewed, according to a university spokeswoman.
“Because this will be a constant process of evaluating efficiencies within the university, there is no timeline for layoffs,” the spokeswoman said. “These very difficult decisions are made as part of recommendations and proposals from area leadership based on finding new efficiencies.”
Gallogly has been working to fix the university’s financial issues since he took over this summer. He has said the university would see a $15 million operating loss if changes weren’t made.
“There’s a lot of this silliness going on that frankly needs to be corrected now,” Gallogly said.
Officials have already found $20 million in savings by reducing third-party services and purchases, he said.
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