City College will bring in seven new-hires to replace some of the 19 full-time positions, which will be open at the end of spring, for the 2017-2018 academic year.
In August the Supplemental Early Retirement Program was introduced to the college as a way to save money, while it faces an anticipated $9 million deficit next year. Superintendent-President Dr. Anthony Beebe made the recommendation that two thirds of the 19 faculty members retiring or resigning be filled at the College Planning Council meeting on Nov. 15. Beebe additionally opened up the search for five positions not filled during the 2015-2016 hiring cycle.
The program will cut back on faculty as the student population goes down, and college officials predict City College will not return to its current size in future semesters.
The hiring process is in its early stages, with the college waiting to confirm how many positions will be replaced. There are 23 positions being requested—five of the positions being new—but only the following positions will be filled, based on a ranking done earlier in the semester:
- Vocational nursing
- Mathematics
- School of justice studies
- Philosophy
- Earth and planetary science
- Communications
The mathematics department will fill two positions.
The five positions carried over from the previous academic year include:
- Accounting
- Computer science
- Associate degree nursing
- Biological sciences
- Graphic design
Beebe said one very real possibility was to not hire any new faculty.
However a complete hiring freeze would “shoot us in the foot,” he said at the meeting.
Faculty members retiring through the early retirement program will retire Jan. 31, or June 30 of 2017.
The College Planning Council will meet again on Nov. 29 to further discuss these recommendations, and review more developed proposals for revenue-saving strategies from its previous budget workgroups.
