UT Austin fires 20 communications employees over “crises”
The College of Texas at Austin is abruptly dismissing almost two dozen employees members within the communications and advertising and marketing division after a tumultuous 12 months of disaster communications, KUT Information reported.
In accordance with 4 folks “with firsthand information of the adjustments” who had been granted anonymity by KUT, about 20 folks had been laid off. Their final day is Aug. 31.
The information broke simply days after UT Austin directors publicly introduced they’d be requiring nearly all remaining employees to return to campus and work full time in-person. Nevertheless, sources instructed KUT that two weeks in the past a college vp had knowledgeable the staff who would lose their jobs, explaining it was a needed step to assist the college deal with “managing reputational points and crises.” Emily Reagan, chief advertising and marketing and communications officer, then despatched an e mail to all division employees on June 3 which cited “crises” as the explanation for the layoffs however didn’t specify what they had been.
Mike Rosen, a college spokesperson, declined to remark past saying the division would expertise a “restructure” and that some positions had been being eradicated within the course of. He wouldn’t affirm the variety of staff impacted.
The announcement comes simply months after UT Austin laid off dozens of variety, fairness and inclusion staff to satisfy the necessities of a brand new state regulation, and introduced in native police to arrest greater than 100 pro-Palestinian protesters on campus. One of many people arrested was a lecturer who was then fired.
It’s not but clear if directors will fill the vacancies and in that case, who will fill the gaps or how the division will perform within the meantime.
