Before layoffs begin at Eastern Kentucky University, its Board of Regents will promote early retirements. A plan approved this morning by the regents offer incentives to professors willing to work part-time. Chairman Craig Turner says they’ll also offer incentives to staff members who qualify for early retirement.
“The objective here again is to treat everybody as fairly as possible, providing incentives for them to potentially retire, and based upon those numbers, then that will determine how deep cuts go on the reduction plan itself,” said Turner.
The board also authorized the involuntary layoff of faculty and staff. Turner says the total number of layoffs depends on the success of their early retirement incentives. The University hopes to cut annual spending by 23-million dollars. As EKU is downsized and reorganized, Turner says the new president will re-invest those funds into programs essential to Eastern’s mission.
