OU President James Gallogly has announced the removal of 50 staff positions due to university budget constraints.
Gallogly made the announcement in a Nov. 1 email sent out to all faculty and staff. Gallogly said in the email the administration has been working with departments and colleges across campus to cut costs, but a workforce reduction is also necessary.
"We have determined the first phase of this plan will mean a reduction of approximately 50 staff positions," Gallogly said in the email. "We notified those individuals today. We do not anticipate any further reductions this calendar year but will continue our work group by group to assess where additional savings and efficiencies can be achieved going forward."
The university faces $1 billion in debt, and a preliminary budget presented to the OU Board of Regents predicted another year of losses, according to Gallogly.
"Even as we navigate these difficult decisions, I am encouraged that I see us continuing to work together to achieve the vision of our university: growing a world-class institution focused on our students and their success," Gallogly wrote in the email.
