Will there be some reductions in staff and how will those be determined?

Yes, though every effort will be made to minimize that result. Wherever possible, position savings will come from attrition. If there are reductions, they would be determined in collaboration with the leadership in each affected person’s work area. Decisions will be made after reviewing budget, work flow and staffing data, and after the extensive interview process. If a review finds that SMU would benefit from restructuring in an area (achieving lower costs with equal or better service), then a recommendation would be made that could affect staff in that area. We have recently asked campus managers to put on hold filling any open or proposed new positions, with the exception of extraordinary circumstances. This will allow us first to determine the impact of our study on staffing overall. We want to preserve flexibility and consideration for staff whose positions are eliminated. Anyone losing his or her job as a result of this project will be provided transition support as well as severance compensation.