Three Rivers college announces 45 layoffs

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- Forty-five layoffs were announced this week at Three Rivers Community College, including the elimination of child care services, in order to serve an increasing number of students while state revenue is down and costs are rising.

After receiving the Three Rivers Board of Trustees' consent during executive session last week, administrators met face to face with about 30 full-time and 15 part-time employees Tuesday, giving them 30 days' notice that their contracts would not be renewed in fiscal year 2011.

"While these are difficult decisions for the administration to make, we all have to consider what is ultimately in the best interest of the institution," said Dr. Devin Stephenson, Three Rivers' president. "Our focus must be on keeping the college strong so that we can successfully face the challenges that lie ahead."

Stephenson's executive cabinet had spent the past 11 months evaluating the institution, he explained, analyzing strengths and weaknesses, assessing organizational structure, operations and personnel, and focusing on functional areas in which the college can run more efficiently.

Expecting to realize upward of $600,000 in savings from the cuts, the president said the reorganization has involved scrutinizing every job responsibility to ensure that all departments are working as effectively as possible.

"Unfortunately," Stephenson said, "this means the elimination of some positions at the college."

The reduction of payroll will help make up for the hit the community college is anticipating in fiscal year 2011, which includes $250,000 less in state appropriations, along with increases in health insurance and retirement, while a tuition freeze has been implemented in a pact with Gov. Jay Nixon.

More than a dozen full-time positions, some newly created and others with merged duties, have been posted on the Three Rivers' website at www.trcc.edu. None of the employees that were let go were in the faculty ranks, Stephenson said, adding that Three Rivers' core mission -- to award associate degrees and certificates -- will not be compromised.

Departments affected at the community college include custodial services, which will be outsourced to the same company used by Briggs & Stratton.

The Early Childhood Learning Center will be discontinued at the end of July, along with paying the salaries of its eight employees. Even with a recent fee increase, the auxiliary service was being operated at a $40,000 to $50,000 deficit this academic year, according to community college officials.

"Some of this probably needed to be done long ago, as we became overstaffed at some point in the past, and it has caught up with us in this difficult economic time," said Randy Winston, Three Rivers board secretary.

About 350 people remain employed at Three Rivers, half of whom work part time or are adjuncts, according to Stephenson. He said 63 percent of Three Rivers' $18 million operational budget goes to personnel.

"With the experience of our leadership team, we believe that this 'right sizing' will play well into the growth and expansion of the college," Stephenson said. "By working together, by working smarter and harder, by making difficult decisions for the right reasons, Three Rivers will emerge stronger, more competitive and in a better position to reach our goal of being the pre-eminent community college in the nation."