UK administration announced earlier today that it plans to cut 75 positions from several departments in an email to students, faculty and staff. 

The email from Provost Tim Tracy and Executive Vice President for Finance and Administration Eric Monday outlined the university’s next phase in its five-year strategic plan, which was endorsed by the Board of Trustees last October. 

“Over the last several months, we laid the groundwork for further success on our priorities,” Tracy and Monday wrote. “Our next step includes realigning parts of our campus to make greater progress on the goals outlined in the strategic plan, with a specific focus on bolstering student success and academic excellence.”

Administration will realign areas within the Provost’s office, modernize the Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service, change instructional and research faculty effort in the College of Medicine and make operations more efficient in UK’s facilities with new business processes. The entire realignment effort is designed to save UK $6 million within the next year and will be considered by the Board of Trustees in June, according to the email.  

The email said UK is currently completing a review of “positions across several departments.” The first phase will affect the unit of Student and Academic Life and be completed Aug. 1. The next phases will evaluate the Provost area. 

Affected employees will receive a 90-day notice with full-pay and benefits the email said. 

UK did not consider these decisions lightly and considered input from affected college and unit leadership, according to the email.

“The steps we are taking are focused entirely on aligning our resources to support those efforts and priorities we value most – our students and the work we do on behalf of the Commonwealth we serve,” Tracy and Monday wrote.