Tulane University laid off 243 full-time staff members from various departments on Oct. 21 to secure the university's future operations, according to Director of Public Relations Michael Strecker.
"Katrina has created challenges that are unmatched in the history of Tulane and, indeed, in the history of the United States," Strecker said. "Our post-Katrina strategic plan has furnished us with a roadmap for the university's future that requires fewer employees. This is a painful fact for the entire university community."
The university has 4,268 full-time staff members, but no full-time professors were laid off. Before the Oct. 21 layoffs, the university terminated part-time faculty and staff, as well as temporary employees.
"In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, Tulane is retaining only those employees whose positions are considered mission critical," he said. "Tulane employees are well-trained and dedicated. We hope those who are separated from the university will be able to find gainful employment elsewhere."
Strecker said those employees laid off because of the storm would be considered for rehire in the future.
The National Association of College and University Business Officers and the American Council on Education created a spreadsheet on their Web site that lists temporary employment offerings submitted by institutions for faculty and staff affected by Hurricane Katrina.
Roanoke College in Virginia and Washington College in Maryland are the schools nearest to AU offering temporary employment positions, but there has not been much response to the listings.
"We have not hired anyone, nor has anyone responded," said Dean Kathy Sack of Washington College. "We did make a direct offer to Loyola University to host a math faculty member for a math position we have open, but we were informed by their dean of arts and sciences that all were placed elsewhere with research colleagues at other institutions."
Jennifer K. MacLean, an associate professor at Roanoke College, said the school offered a temporary position to a professor from a New Orleans University that is closed for the semester although she did not lose her job.
Xavier University is expected to announce its first faculty and staff layoffs at the end of October, according to the Chronicle of Higher Education. Loyola University New Orleans is deciding whether layoffs will be necessary. Neither university be reached for comment.
