Economic Crisis on Campus

In the thick of the current financial crisis, perhaps now more than ever, students, staff, and faculty can relate to one another over one concern—employment. Just as students worry about the stability of institutional employment, Work Study, and potential jobs after graduation, staff and faculty—from Facilities Management employees to visiting professors—worry that their jobs may disappear.

In an e-mail sent to all Kalamazoo College staff and students on Feb. 27, 2009, President Eileen Wilson-Oyelaran wrote, “We have carefully reviewed our expenditures and have identified a series of cost containment measures, including the reduction of infrastructure, operational, and personnel expenditures. We are reviewing carefully all open positions, filling some, and postponing or consolidating others.”

What does this mean for students? Until May, when the number of incoming students is solidified, not much will be known. Board decisions in June will determine changes in the Kalamazoo College budget, but until then employees and students will have to live with some uncertainty.

Public e-mails such as this may serve to reassure all affiliated with K that upper level management is committed to keeping students and staff informed about new developments in the college’s finances. The quality of education that the institution provides will remain a top priority.

“The college is trying very hard to preserve the student experience at K,” said Laura Andersen, Manager of Human Resources.

The college is “not looking at individuals, but at needs,” Andersen added. For staff and faculty, downsizing does not automatically mean that many will receive pink slips. Rather, in most cases, empty positions will be assessed.

As Dr. Wilson-Oyelaran stated in her e-mail, some positions will be consolidated. One example of recent consolidation is the appointment of Alyce Brady, current Professor of Computer Science and the Computer Science Program Director, to the position of Registrar.

“It’s not uncommon to have tenured faculty members serve as administrators,” said Andersen.

Students change and leave positions much more frequently than staff members, but as Director of Financial Aid Marian Stowers pointed out, many students are protected under Federal Work Study. For Work Study employees, Stowers said, “We expect no increase or decrease.”

Institutional employment for students may very well be a target of budget cuts, and off-campus jobs are increasingly difficult to find. Stowers encourages students to schedule an appointment with Financial Aid if they or their families are suffering from changes in finances. Students’ needs are assessed on a case-by-case basis, and individuals may be eligible for programs such as Work Study that they have not been eligible for in the past.