Business school eliminates 10 positions in budget cuts

The Fuqua School of Business cut 10 positions - five through attrition - Wednesday as the first part of an effort to reduce its budget.

Fuqua Dean Douglas Breeden said in a statement that the weak economy, the war in Iraq and concerns about the safety of global travel has decreased enrollment in the school's executive MBA programs and in non-degree Executive Education programs.

"These programs have students who are often sponsored by their employers, and such corporate sponsorship has been significantly reduced," Breeden said.

All 10 positions were of members of the staff and those affected will receive severance benefits in accordance with Duke's policies.

"After a full review by our school leaders and consultation with Duke's provost and our Board of Visitors, today we have terminated the employment of five of our staff, reducing our total staff to 214 employees. We also eliminated five planned positions that had not yet been filled," Breeden added.

Breeden said last week that the school's decision to admit 65 additional students to its daytime MBA program would save the business school from making large cuts to its budget. He said the school might otherwise be in trouble, given the lower demand on its executive MBA and Cross-Continent MBA programs, flashier programs geared toward business executives that bring in higher tuition.

Jim Gray, Fuqua's associate dean for marketing and communications, said Wednesday that no deans could offer further comment.