First Faculty Cuts At UNBC

By Michelle Cyr-Whiting

Biology professor Russ Dawson with students          (photo courtesy of UNBC)

News that 25 faculty positions will be cut at UNBC over the next three years was not ’new’ to Faculty Association President, Dr. Darwyn Coxson.

Dr. Coxson says the university has already held several meetings with faculty, starting back in December and today’s announcement just confirms that the Board of Governors has set a new direction for UNBC (see previous story).

Dr. Coxson says these are the first positions to be cut at the university since it fully opened its doors back in 1994.  But Coxson says, "There’s certainly been ongoing cuts over the last several years in the budgets that support what we do in labs and in classrooms. And we’ve probably reached the end of the road in terms of any further reductions of that type."

As for how and when these cuts will be made, the final details have not yet been hammered out.  Coxson says the faculty association will begin another round of meetings with the university.

"It’s our understanding that they’re seeking a package of voluntary buy outs and elements of early retirement, perhaps for some faculty, but details of that will be negotiated over the next several weeks."

He says the Deans have been working to develop proposals as to where changes would occur in terms of delivery of teacher and delivery of program services, but he says it’s too early to say if it will be spread evenly through all departments.

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