Algonquin has 80 unfilled fulltime positions as a result of medical, maternity leaves and retirements.
That’s according to president Cheryl Jensen, who confirmed that number in an interview with the Times on March 1.
The vacancies were announced recently during the presentation of the budget.
When asked about why those jobs hadn’t been filled, Jensen said that the college is being diligent; making sure that those positions are filled with the right people and at the right time.
With three colleges – one in Ottawa, one in Pembroke and another in Perth – Jensen says it is standard.
“We have spent quite a bit of time examining,” said Jensen. “It’s what we call sort of normal or usual turn in a large organization. So that approximately 80 number would cover all those campuses.”
Jensen says that with a “hard budget” this year, the number of positions was not to be increased.
“This year, we did not add any additional positions,” said Jensen. “That’s because balancing the budget this year was tough.”
With an enrolment increase of one per cent – the college’s major source of revenue — and expenses going up four to six percent, the budget was not easy to balance, said Jensen, and as such tough decisions had to be made.
“We’re evaluating all our vacancies,” said Jensen. “We’re paying close attention to where we’re hiring, where the most needs are.”