CHENEY, Wash. — Eastern Washington University has announced it has began issuing informal layoff notices which will "impact between 350-400" people this week.
In an email to KREM, EWU spokesperson Dave Meany said the layoff notices are part of the university's budgetary reduction plan that was presented to the school's governing board last Friday.
According to Meany, the layoffs come as due to financial impacts caused by the coronavirus pandemic, as Washington asked educational institutions to look at a 15 percent budget cut by July 1. This means EWU will need to cut about $10 million from its budget, Meany said, and the university also expects a loss of up to $12 million in revenue due to reduced enrollment and less students in residence halls.
Meany said the cuts are "extremely difficult" for the university. The layoffs will include classified and exempt university staff. Some will lose their jobs, while others will see a reduction in the amount of time they work each year, including some that could become half-time employees.
In addition to the layoffs, Meany said some vacancies will go unfilled and funding will be shifted around departments as part of the plan. He also said formal notifications will be made in the coming weeks as the university moves closer to the budget approval scheduled for June 25.
