Nicholls State University to Cut Jobs, Reduce Hours

Nicholls State University isn’t a place that most of you who are not from the local area may have heard of in the past here is a look at how the school has chosen to describe itself, “Nicholls State University, located in Thibodaux, La., is a comprehensive regional university serving a diverse population of traditional and nontraditional students. Tax-supported and co-educational, the institution first opened its doors on Sept. 23, 1948, as Francis T. Nicholls Junior College of Louisiana State University. In 1956, the Louisiana Legislature separated Nicholls from LSU and authorized it to develop four-year curricula. Thus, in September 1956, the former junior college began operation as Francis T. Nicholls State College and granted its first degrees in May 1958. Act 93 of the State Legislature in 1970 changed the name to Nicholls State University.”

Apparently the college is hoping to continue its legacy without the help of some of its workers. For now college is laying of an unknown number or workers, though when all is said and done it is likely to be a mass layoff action, as the college has been some fiscal distress recently. For those of you who are not familiar with the idea of a mass layoff action here is a look at how the federal government defines the term, “The Mass Layoff Statistics (MLS) program collects reports on mass layoff actions that result in workers being separated from their jobs. Monthly mass layoff numbers are from establishments which have at least 50 initial claims for unemployment insurance (UI) filed against them during a 5-week period. Extended mass layoff numbers (issued quarterly) are from a subset of such establishments—where private sector nonfarm employers indicate that 50 or more workers were separated from their jobs for at least 31 days.” If this is a mass layoff action workers will be given 90 days of notice before they are put out of a job and onto the unemployment line.

This is not the only cost cutting measure being made by the school. The administration recently made an announcement about a reduction in summer hours on the campus that the school hopes will save badly needed funds, and possibly avert the need for some of the job cuts. Here is a look at that announcement, “In an effort to reduce costs by conserving energy, Nicholls State University will modify its work schedule during the summer months – replacing the current posted hours of 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. This will be the fourth summer that Nicholls has taken this cost-saving step.Effective Tuesday, May 29, through Friday, Aug. 3, university-wide office hours will be as follows: Monday through Thursday 7:30 a.m. – 5 p.m. Friday 7:30 – 11:30 a.m.”

Of course they are not the only school to feel the pinch. Some of you may recall our earlier coverage of job cuts to the University of Kentucky staff. For those of you who missed out here is an excerpt, “At the time we did not know a lot of things, including how many people were set to impacted by those job cuts. Now we know that, and a few other disturbing things about how the layoffs are going on this college campus. The job cuts are set to impact about 140 employees on the campus, which is about one percent of the overall workforce at the school for those of you who are keeping track. The disturbing part is that the layoffs, which apparently began late in the month of, May have been done with a swift finality and coldness. According to a report filed by a reporter for Kentucky.com the school has been very curt with its workers, they wrote, “…she and six other employees were summoned one by one to the dean’s office, told about their layoffs, handed a sealed letter, given a 5-minute”