UWindsor laying off 10 staff to help address $5.6M budget shortfall

The University of Windsor will layoff 10 people in a bid to balance its budget, a spokesperson for the school announced Tuesday.

In a statement, the university said the jobs will be cut and the University Players, a production arm within the school for the dramatic arts, will be closed.

The Entrepreneurship, Practice, and Innovation (EPI) Centre will be "reimagined to integrate and enhance our innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem."

It's all part of an effort to balance the base budget and save $5.6 million.

"With escalating operating costs and several years of budget realignments, the university will continue to identify revenue opportunities, along with operational efficiencies and staffing adjustments to ensure that the university continues to fulfil its academic mission and safeguards the institution's financial sustainability," a statement from the university read.

The school said it's a result of budget pressures stemming from "ongoing domestic tuition freezes, provincial policy and funding impacts, competitive forces, and fluctuating enrolment."

A University of Windsor logo shown on the side of the building on the school's campus. (Chris Ensing/CBC)

The union representing workers at the University of Windsor, including members of both the University Players and EPI Centre, said the closures represent "a step backward." .

"At a time when the university's strategic plan emphasizes its role as an engine of economic diversification, urban vitality, and civic engagement in the Windsor-Essex region, these cuts appear short-sighted and self-defeating," said CUPE 1393 president Paul Fraser.

He said the closure of the University Players undermines the city's arts community, and the university's EPI Centre is a valuable support for new businesses.

"Bringing the expertise of our faculty and students to bear has been of great benefit to our local economic ecosystem and it will be a shame if we cut these ties at such a crucial time in our regional development."