UPEI lays off staff, shuffles positions to save money
'Workforce reduction, as well as a salary freeze for senior management and travel restrictions' says president
In an effort to save money, UPEI has laid off some management-level staff and consolidated some administrative and senior management positions.
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The changes were outlined in a recent letter from university president Alaa Abd-El-Aziz addressed to the campus community, noting UPEI must "prepare for a future that ensures a sustainable quality education within a balanced budget framework."
"These steps have included the very difficult decision related to workforce reduction, as well as a salary freeze for senior management and travel restrictions," the president said in the letter.
The role of vice-president academic, now held by Christian Lacroix, will be amalgamated into a single position of vice-president academic and research under the leadership of the current vice-president research and graduate studies, Robert Gilmour.
"I thank the UPEI executive team for working together to identify and enact this realignment effort. I express my sincere thanks to Dr. Christian Lacroix for his leadership in championing the benefits to be gained through this step," Abd-El-Aziz said, noting Lacroix will continue to act as an advisor to the president on academic matters for the next six months.
Gilmour's term as vice-president research and graduate studies is contracted to wrap up in June 2017, and a search for a permanent vice-president academic and research will start this fall, the letter states.
Seven management positions will also be affected: three managers who have been given notice, two managers who are retiring and two managers who have been re-deployed into other positions at UPEI. They all work in departments that fall under the offices of the vice-president administration and finance and the chief information officer.
The university said it is working with those affected and helping to support their transition to their next career.
With files from Angela Walker