The University of Southern Maine is planning to cut 50 faculty positions and two academic programs in attempt to reduce its current $16 million budget gap.
The Bangor Daily News reported that USM’s Faculty Senate has until Oct. 17 to respond to the plan to cut faculty and programs for an undergraduate degree in French and a graduate degree in applied medical sciences. The cuts will eliminate $6 million from the university’s budget and help lower a projected $69 million in debt for the University of Maine System.
Retirement incentives will be offered to some of the 50 faculty members whose positions are proposed for elimination. If they do not accept by Oct. 20, the most recently hired faculty members of each targeted department will be laid off.
The plan is being led by USM interim President David Flanagan, the former CEO of Central Maine Power Co., who organized a team of university administrators in August to determine which programs and faculty positions to cut.
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