TRU firings not budget-related
A recent rash of firings among high-level Thompson Rivers University employees is nothing out of the ordinary, according to one of the school’s top officials.
“There’s always turnover happening,” associate vice-president academic Larry Prins told KTW.
“I think our number of employees is close to 1,000.”
Prins was responding to questions about the firings of at least three management-level employees — chief enrolment officer Peter Hilton, vice-provost Judith Murray and director of ancillary services Gerard Hayes — in recent months.
TRU is feeling budget pressures.
An anticipated decrease in provincial funding means the school has to cut $2.5 million from its budget over the next two years.
The university plans to combat the shortfall by hiking tuition rates and parking fees while cutting back on computer and travel bills.
Each university department has also been asked to look for potential cuts — including phased retirements, overtime cuts and reviewing vacant positions.
According to Prins, the firings aren’t related to TRU’s ongoing belt-tightening.
“These are personnel matters and I can’t speak to individual personnel matters,” he said.
“But, I’m not aware of anything associated with budget and people coming and going.”
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