BELLINGHAM, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – A group of stakeholders at Western Washington University are criticizing its leadership over recent layoffs.
Nearly 300 people, including students, workers and alumni, signed a letter to Western administrators urging them for more transparency regarding this year’s job cuts.
A delegation hand-delivered the letter to the school’s cabinet members, including President Sabah Randhawa, on Nov. 6.
My Bellingham Now previously reported that Western eliminated 20 positions over the summer, on top of 74 more cuts that had been announced in the spring in response to the school’s ballooning budget deficit.
The letter states that many of the lost positions were critical to supporting students and employees, specifically the school’s decision to disassemble the student affairs office.
The signatories are asking administrators to acknowledge the impacts of the layoffs and publicly share the criteria for any more potential cuts in the future.
A spokesperson for the delegation tells My Bellingham Now that it has not received a response to the letter as of Nov. 18.
