Many UW fundraising-support workers to lose jobs

Nearly three dozen University of Washington fundraising-support workers were told Monday their positions in the office of University Advancement will be cut within two months because of the economic downturn and losses in the stock market.

In a news release yesterday, university officials said the cutback will affect 86 positions overall, about one-fifth of the unit's staff.

The office will lose 70 permanent positions May 1. Of those, only 34 are presently filled. Another 16 full-time positions will be reduced to part-time. The cuts are expected to save about $6 million annually.

University officials said the UW's Consolidated Endowment Fund, a major source of financial support for the University Advancement unit, had lost about 25 percent of its value in the past year. It's the first time in UW history that declining value of an endowment fund has led to staff layoffs.

But more layoffs may be on the horizon. UW President Mark Emmert said the university is braced for more cuts once the Legislature adopts a budget for the next two years.

UW officials estimate that 600 to 800 state-funded positions could be lost under the new budget.