Whether interim Mizzou Chancellor Hank Foley will be cleaning his office and taking out his own trash come July 1 is unclear.

What is known, however, is that dozens of custodial staff positions at the University of Missouri-Columbia will be eliminated over the next three months, meaning others will have to pick up the slack.

In all, about 16,000 Mizzou hospital and campus employees — including professors — will be responsible for the upkeep of their offices beginning this summer.

Students will be immune to the extra work.

The elimination of custodial positions is part of a nearly $5.5 million plan to cut spending within MU Operations, the department responsible for cleaning, maintaining and repairing the school’s buildings.

A total of 50 positions will be cut through layoffs and attrition.

The department will also cut back on landscaping, mail delivery and long-term maintenance projects.

The cuts to MU Operations do not include MU Police or the MU Environmental Health and Safety department.