MU to cut more workers as some staff merge in two divisions

COLUMBIA - MU announced it is reducing some staff as the maintenance and custodial operations merge in the Division of Student Affairs and Division of Operations. MU Spokesperson Christian Basi said the university will cut 30 positions and save $1.2 million. Ten of the 30 positions are administrators.



In July, MU Student Affairs, which covers the university’s Residential Life, Greek Life student health and other departments, announced it would management and partially join the Division of Operations. Seven administrators lost their jobs in the initial transition.

Basi said the cuts will focus on using student and university money more effectively.

“We’ve seen some duplication and so it may not be an area where we’re doing more work, it may be an area where we’re not doing the same work twice,” Basi said.

Basi said Residential Life uses its own maintenance staff, but because some Operations staff can do the same work, there will be consolidation of those employees.

A new position will be added to the leadership of the Division of Student Affairs. The Dean of Students will oversee the department, taking over duties previously tasked to several administrators. According to the MU Student Affairs website, the university expects this decision will save $745,000.

Basi could not say when or if more layoffs would occur within these departments, but said all campus departments are under review, so more changes are possible.

“There’s constant change always going, and so there’s no specific end date, we’ll always be looking and reviewing our operations because things change,” Basi said.