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Union College in Schenectady is eliminating dozens of positions after missing enrollment goals for two consecutive years, with approximately 40 dining staff members set to lose their jobs.
On Friday (February 13), the college is moving forward with staff reductions that were first announced in a February 2 memo to employees. According to reporting by the Times Union, the college will terminate all dining staff positions as part of cost-cutting measures.
College spokesman Phil Wajda explained that the institution needs to "achieve necessary savings" after experiencing lower-than-expected enrollment. The dining operation, currently split between college employees and contractor Bon Appétit, will transition to being fully managed by the contractor.
"These savings are essential for maintaining a balanced budget and ensuring we can continue to support our mission, and remaining employees, for decades to come," Wajda told NEWS10.
Affected dining staff will remain employed through the spring 2026 semester. They will then have several options: apply for positions with Bon Appétit, seek other jobs within the college, or, if eligible, accept an early retirement package.
The early retirement incentive is available to all Union College employees who are at least 60 years old and have worked at the institution for a minimum of 10 years. Those who take this option will receive two weeks of salary for every year worked, up to a maximum of 78 weeks of pay.
One significant concern for affected employees is the potential loss of the college's tuition benefit, which pays much of the tuition for employees' children attending Union or other colleges. Wajda confirmed that early retirees will retain this benefit, and the college "will continue to honor the tuition benefit for those with students currently enrolled in college or who are seniors in high school and who have applied to college."
Despite the cuts, Union College maintains a substantial endowment of $600 million, up from $525 million reported last May. However, the college has been drawing heavily from this fund—$27 million annually plus an additional $5.5 million this school year—to cover operational costs.
"Union is fortunate to have a $600 million endowment, which contributes to covering our costs, but we need to steward it to preserve it for future generations," Wajda said.
College officials noted they are seeing "positive signs" regarding applications and deposits for fall enrollment, suggesting the institution may be working toward stabilizing its student numbers in the coming academic year.