MEDICAL SCHOOL NEOUCOM says several factors led to staff cuts

Faculty positions are not affected.
ROOTSTOWN -- The Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine says cuts in state funding and a strategic repositioning initiative are primarily responsible for the elimination of 37 support staff positions.
Faculty positions are not affected, said Pat Crowley, director of public relations.
The 31 hourly workers, from departments such as public relations and maintenance, and secretarial and program assistant positions, will lose their jobs Oct. 24 when the 30-day notice expires. Notices for the six administrative personnel whose jobs were cut range from 30 to 120 days, depending on their years of service, Crowley said.
The position eliminations will free up $1.4 million to address unfunded operating expenses and other strategic initiatives contained in NEOUCOM's $26 million 2004-05 budget.
Budget cut
Additionally, at the start of fiscal year 2005 on July 1, the college imposed an across-the-board 10 percent cut for all departmental operating budgets, resulting in a savings of about $500,000, Crowley said.
Over the past five years, NEOUCOM experienced eight cuts in state support. Its anticipated unrestricted state aid in fiscal year 2005 of $14.9 million is less than the amount received in 1997, which was $15.4 million, Crowley said.
Economics is not the only reason for the staff reductions, he said.
NEOUCOM is undergoing a strategic repositioning process to refocus on its core curriculum and research missions.
For example, for about a year, faculty, staff and students have studied the entire four-year medical school curriculum. Currently NEOUCOM has six basic research areas: infectious disease, neuroscience and behavioral systems, skeletal biology and bone disease, cardiovascular medicine, clinical outcome and health policy.
The questions are, should they be pared down or changed, and does NEOUCOM have the talent on hand to handle any changes, or will new personnel be needed, Crowley said.
Tuition
Student tuition also is cited as a reason behind the strategic restructuring by college officials.
Tuition for in-state students for the 2004-05 school year is $20,445, compared with $12,963 for the 2000-01 school year. Tuition for out-of-state students this school year is $40,890.
"We must be sensitive to any tuition increase, since each increase has an adverse impact on our students and their families," said Dr. Lois Margaret Nora, NEOUCOM's president and dean. "Our students have had, and most likely will continue to see, increases in tuition."
NEOUCOM is a community-based, state medical school that offers a combined bachelor of science/medical doctor program with The University of Akron, Kent State University and Youngstown State University. NEOUCOM also has established collaborative arrangements with Kent State University and The University of Akron to offer graduate-level education in the biomedical sciences and biomedical engineering leading to master's and doctoral degrees.
NEOUCOM and its 18 associated hospitals co-sponsor graduate and continuing medical education programs for residents, physicians and allied health professionals.