Your Voice | Letters

Disappointment over layoffs

To the Editor:

As a 2000 graduate in anthropology (archaeology concentration) and former employee of the museum, I was extremely disappointed and shocked when I heard about the 18 people fired from the museum a few weeks ago. This is a detriment to the museum, the department, undergraduate and graduate students alike, and wider objectives of the university itself.

To think that letting go so many individuals who have contributed years of research is an outrage. I'm worried about the health of the museum and maintaining its stand as a quality institution with the word "archaeology" in its title. Particularly disappointing was the elimination of MASCA, an active branch of the museum.

I sincerely hope Dr. Hodges and Dr. Gutmann reconsider this decision and allow dedicated individuals who carry out the mission of education and research on a daily basis to return to the work they do. I also hope that the current student body realizes this tragedy and attempts to help overturn the decision.

Elizabeth Norris

The author is a 2000 College alumna

Praise for Gutmann salary decline

To the Editor:

In light of the SAS freeze on staff hiring ("SAS places freeze on staff hiring," DP, 12/5/2008), I want to commend Dr. Gutmann for declining a base salary increase in 2009-10. Dr. Gutmann works hard and I admire her performance, but she is already generously compensated.

In these worrisome economic times, it is also heartening to see Mayor Nutter take a 10-percent salary cut, whatever we may think of his controversial budget cuts.

I hope this is the beginnning of a trend among the more well-off among us, of voluntarily sharing in the sacrifices the rest of us must make; those sacrifices for many of us add to the hardships we already bear. Other officials should follow the lead of Dr. Gutmann and Mayor Nutter.

Patty Quinn

The author is a 2002 College alumna

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