Chestnut Hill College, facing a deficit, averts layoffs with salary cuts

Chestnut Hill College, facing a deficit, averted layoffs this week with salary cuts, reduced work schedules, and canceled raises for the 2016-17 academic year.

With a $2 million budget shortfall looming, the college considered cutting staff to make up the difference.

But Sister Carol Jean Vale, college president, announced in an email to staff this week that no jobs would be lost.

"After thoughtful and careful consideration of all options, and many hours reviewing numerous budget scenarios, we are able to avoid staff layoffs at this time," she wrote.

Seventeen of the 177-member staff agreed to take a salary cut or a reduced workweek effective July 1, and the college forced six other full-time employees and one part-time employee to reduce their workweeks by up to eight hours, college officials said this week.

No faculty members are affected by the cutbacks.

In addition to the savings from salaries, the college renegotiated contracts for office supplies, marketing, and other services, and delayed some purchases, said spokeswoman Kathleen Spigelmyer.

The cancellation of raises, which applies to both staff and faculty, allowed the college to close the gap, she said. Savings from the cuts amounted to about 3.5 percent of the college's budget, she said.

"I think they've tried to solve a problem as judiciously as possible," said Barbara Lonnquist, a professor of English.

Such belt-tightening is becoming more common at colleges and universities as schools compete for fewer students and try to hold down tuition.

Chestnut Hill will have more work to do in the coming months, the president said in her email to staff.

"These measures are not a permanent solution, but steps designed to maintain the fiscal health of the college at this point in time," Vale wrote. "Strategies are being developed to address those areas in need of strengthening in order to maintain our history of competitiveness in the marketplace and to increase revenue."

Chestnut Hill has a full-time undergraduate enrollment of about 930 and a total enrollment of about 2,000.

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