Staffing Cuts Across College Go Into Effect

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Tuesday, November 12 was a big day on campus. Two main issues came into the foreground in a startlingly direct way: the Administrative Services Review and the shift from Public Safety to a new Campus Safety privately contracted to Gardaworld, the largest privately owned security company on the globe. 
There are two issues here that have deeply related root causes and outcomes. Goucher is unable to cover all the costs of its day-to-day operations, running what President Kent Devereaux cited as a $5 million annual deficit.* As a result, cost-cutting measures are being undertaken in all sectors of the campus community. This year, the staff is being cut.
While a hiring freeze has been in effect since April 2019, 34 positions were eliminated on Tuesday. It is unknown how many positions were cut in other ways, including pay cuts and weekly work hour reductions. These cuts will not affect current faculty positions. In an email to the student body, Kent noted that there are “no plans for any additional position eliminations.”
The campus also learned today of the future of Goucher Office of Public Safety (GCOPS, better known as PubSafe) since Dave Heffer left his post as its director last month. The new Campus Safety force will be comprised of officers hired by Gardaworld, replacing PubSafe. While all current Public Safety officers will have the opportunity to apply for a job on campus through Gardaworld, there are no guarantees they will be hired.
In a packed GSG meeting on Tuesday night, Kent and Dean Bryan Coker responded to student questions. A full transcript of the event will be posted to The Quindecim’s website later today, with additional coverage in the weeds on these two issues.
*It is worth mentioning that deficits are annual monetary shortfalls, while debts are accrued over multiple years.

Neve Levinson is a senior majoring in Spanish and American Studies. They enjoy playing frisbee (go Gophers!), reading the news, and learning about peacebuilding processes around the world. As an Editor-in-Chief of The Quindecim, they want to publish stories about topics that matter to our community. What other pieces of news need to be covered? Want to write about it? (Or just tell them about it?) Email Neve at nelev001@mail.goucher.edu.

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