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Daily News higher education reporter Peter Sachs weighs in with news about the hot topics on campus.


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Layoffs at City Colleges as district responds to state cuts


The City Colleges of Chicago has now laid off 58 people as part of an effort to cut $15.5 million from its new budget.

The district’s board unanimously approved the $492 million annual budget at a meeting this morning. It also approved some of the layoffs – 48 today and 10 earlier this month – because the district doesn’t fully know the fallout from the state budget Gov. Pat Quinn signed last week, district finance director Ken Gotsch says.

“What’s unclear about the state budget is really, how is that going to affect student financial aid?” Gotsch says.

Without assurances from the state, the City Colleges is moving forward with cuts so that it can preserve adult education programs, Gotsch says. The state had indicated it would eliminate funding for those programs, but the City College decided it would make cuts elsewhere so it could keep offering those classes.

The layoffs are hitting staff positions, including a number of part-time employees. In total, the district is eliminating 140 positions, about half of which are currently vacant. More layoffs are expected next month.

In addition, top district officials will take three unpaid days this year and will give up raises for next year, Gotsch says. Union employees, including faculty and staff, aren’t subject to the furloughs.

“We’d like to say we’re done with this budget discussion,” Board Chairman Jim Tyree says. “We’re not necessarily done because depending on what happens at the state level and what cuts come by … there are some things that we might have to come back and address in the fall.”

 

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