Iowa State University’s College of Engineering will cut 22 administrative staff positions as part of an effort to reduce its annual budget by more than $1 million, the college announced. The announcement follows three previously announced program eliminations: the Engineering Policy and Leadership Institute; the Faculty and Staff Portfolio System; and PERUSE (Providing Experiences in Research for Undergraduate Students in Engineering).

“This difficult process was necessary to protect the quality of our educational programs and nationally ranked engineering degrees,” Jonathan Wickert, dean of the College of Engineering, said in a press release. “The administrative reductions will allow us to focus resources on the faculty and academic departments that teach our students in the classroom and laboratory.”

Units affected include communications; computing support services; alumni and corporate relations; distance education; graduate and research programs; and academic and student affairs, including international programs. Wickert said the reorganization will enhance administrative efficiency, build collaboration within the engineering college and across campus, and ensure a more coordinated, strategic approach to key services.

Wickert also noted that no faculty positions were eliminated during the reorganization, no degree programs were closed, and no academic departments were merged. The administrative changes were approved by the university, and a summary of the university’s plans was presented to the Iowa Board of Regents on April 29.

In building the fiscal 2011 budget, university leaders made permanent a $24.9 million midyear reduction to the fiscal 2010 budget. The proposed 2011 budget contains nearly $20.4 million less state support than the university received on July 1, 2009, and $58.7 million less than on July 1, 2008. To view a summary of proposed budget reductions for other departments, click here.

“Other departments and colleges have made difficult choices in how they’ve decided to meet their budget reduction targets,” said Annette Hacker, a university spokeswoman. However, she said, “I don’t think you’re going to see other announcements out of the colleges that look like (the College of Engineering’s).” In terms of dollar reductions, other larger colleges had bigger budget reductions than the College of Engineering, Hacker said.