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USF To Cut About 450 Jobs

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By ADAM EMERSON | The Tampa Tribune

Published: May 21, 2008

TAMPA - To close a nearly $36 million deficit, the University of South Florida plans to cut about 450 jobs on all its campuses, university leaders announced today.

Most of the jobs have been unfilled since USF President Judy Genshaft froze all hiring in the spring, but the university plans to lay off about 70 people.

Despite such deep cuts, Genshaft said she plans to eliminate no degree offerings or majors, and she said she'll retain all faculty who are tenured or on track to be tenured.

That leaves about 170 vacant faculty positions that will stay unfilled.

Provost Ralph Wilcox said such a cut "is going to impact quite significantly" the number of courses offered and the size of the classes left to take on the burden.

Many of the layoffs will affect the university's maintenance and grounds crews, Genshaft said. Layoff notices will go out the first week of June, and employees will have 45 to 90 days to leave their jobs, depending on their status.

Not all who receive a layoff notice will permanently lose their jobs, Wilcox said. Some may be hired back in some capacity, as other employees will retire in the coming months.

The university also will close the last full week of December and require employees to take three of their annual leave days.

Reporter Adam Emerson can be reached at (813) 259-8285 or aemerson@tampatrib.com.

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