Up to 65 University of Southern Maine employees could receive pink slips in coming weeks as school officials attempt to slash $2.7 million from the budget, according to the Portland Press Herald.
The layoffs come as the University of Maine System works to eliminate a total $11.2 million in spending ahead of a projected $140 million state revenue shortfall. USM plans to cut jobs among the ranks of part-time faculty and full- and part-time professional, administrative and operations staffs. All of the university’s 400 full-time faculty members will keep their jobs in an effort to preserve academic programs, the paper reported.
USM already has cut $1.3 million of its $2.7 million share through cuts to travel, technology, continuing education, fitness, and library budgets.
In response to the news, some employees of the university’s Lewiston-Auburn campus offered Monday to take a pay cut, take unpaid time off, or assume additional responsibilities to mitigate the number of anticipated job cuts, the Sun Journal reported.
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