Last week, seven staff jobs were eliminated at the University of Central Missouri.
The cuts were part of UCM’s focus on operating with more economic efficiency following the 2017 budget reductions, according to a university spokesman. All seven individuals whose positions have been eliminated have been notified.
However, the names of the staff members who lost their jobs, their position titles nor their departments are not being released by the university.
“We consider this the same as any personnel matter, and as such we seek to maintain the privacy of the individuals who were directly affected,” said Jeff Murphy, assistant director of Media Relations.
He said the job cuts were part of a reorganization process that began in the summer and involved university leadership and management in each campus unit.
“Every unit was charged with carefully and strategically reviewing every position in that unit to determine if there were services that could be eliminated that would result in cost savings but still allow the university to meet its most critical need, which is a focus on student success,” Murphy said. “Savings will help the university to reduce expenditures during the current fiscal year, and will continue to benefit the university in subsequent years because it is a permanent reduction.”
He said the positions eliminated were not a reflection on the performance of the people who filled them, but was necessary so the university could meet current budget needs and ensure those needs will be better met in the future.
During the past several months, the university offered a voluntary retirement incentive program and eliminated certain vacant positions.