Agnes Scott College eliminated 16 support staff positions as part of a plan to cut about $3 million from its $43 million budget.
The women's college also offered early retirement packages to anyone over 62 who has worked at the Decatur institution for at least 10 years. Nine faculty members and 15 staff members accepted and will retire at the end of June, spokeswoman Megan Terraso said Wednesday.
"We don't expect this to have an effect on the classroom," Terraso said. "This was designed to have a minimal impact on students."
None of the 16 eliminated positions were faculty, she said. The college will replace some of the faculty who are retiring, but Terraso said it's too soon to say how many.
The cuts are part of a plan to reduce spending and increase revenue. The plan is a preemptive move to solve longer-term budget shortfalls, Terraso said.
Under the plan, the college is relying more on tuition and has steadily increased enrollment during the past few years. The college teaches about 930 students and this past fall enrolled 265 freshmen, its largest first-year class.
The extra tuition money has allowed the college to rely less on its annual endowment draw to cover operating expenses. While about 60 percent of the college's operational budget used to come from the endowment, now the figure is in the mid 30s, John Hegman, vice president of finance, said in a previous interview. The goal is to be in the low 30s.
While implementing these changes, the college increased giving, with a record 48 percent of alumnae donating last year. The college raised more than $11 million in new gifts and pledges this past year -- the most in eight years, Terraso said.
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