When business at her husband's excavation job started to slow as a result of the ongoing economic downturn, Dartmouth custodian Debbie Clark was forced to take a second job.
"I don't think in my whole life I've seen the economy as bad as it is now," Clark, who has worked at Dartmouth for more than 20 years, said.
The recession, which has led College President James Wright to call for $40 million in budget cuts across the College's departments, has also forced the Dartmouth staff to take extra measures in order to provide for themselves financially.
The budget reductions may force the College to implement temporary or permanent staff or salary reductions, according to Dean of Residential Life Martin Redman. A hiring freeze is already in place.
"In order to hit that kind of budget reduction, it's unrealistic to not expect that [Residential Life] staff will be affected in some way, shape, or form," Redman said, adding later, "I would hate to have to lay some of those folks off, but if that's what we have to do, that's what we have to do."
Associate director of Dartmouth Dining Services David Newlove said he did not know whether the budget cuts would jeopardize jobs in his department. Staff members are concerned, he said.
In anticipation of the February Board of Trustees meeting, the College's various department have been asked to create contingency plans for reducing their budgets by 5, 10 and 15 percent.
"Fifteen percent is hard," Redman said. "[With that cut] we reduce programs, we reduce people."
Slightly less than half of the budget is "controllable," according to associate vice president for Facilities, Operations and Management John Gratiot, because Dartmouth has certain fixed costs, including utility bills. Staff expenditures, which are controllable, would therefore be disproportionately affected by spending cuts, he explained.
"It is reasonable to expect that our staff in the future will be somewhat smaller than what it is today," Gratiot said.
FO&M will try to reduce spending by letting vacant posts remain unfilled before it lays off staff, Gratiot said, adding that he expects FO&M will likely not have to let go any employees.
"We're dealing with, we have to believe, a short-term problem," Gratiot said. "This is a bump in the road."
Custodian Carey Clark, who has two additional jobs outside of Dartmouth, said she is not worried about her job security at the College, but hopes the economy improves soon.
"I feel like, 'Will it get better?'" she said. "I'm hoping it will get better. We just go out and do our job."
Debbie Clark said she also believes that she is not in danger of losing her job at Dartmouth.
"As long as the students keep coming to Dartmouth, I think we'll probably have a job," she said.
Union membership may provide some security, according to one member of the custodial staff, who said the organization will help protect her salary.
"If something happens, it happens," the staff member, who requested anonymity given the sensitive nature this subject, said. "We're all in it together."
The custodian said the College had worked to inform her about the current budget status at the College. She described the current economic situation as "not good," adding that she felt "pretty fortunate" to have a job.
Carey Clark also said the possibility of a salary decrease does not currently concern her because of support from the Service Employees' International Union at the College. The Dartmouth SEIU division, Local 560, currently represents about 600 employees at Dartmouth. The division is split into three separate unions of College employees -- one group represents Safety and Security employees, one is composed of employees of the Hanover Inn, and the third, largest group made up of employees of various College departments, including Facilities, Operations and Management, the Office of Residential Life, the Dartmouth Dining Association, the Dartmouth Skiway and the Athletic Department.
"Thank God for the union," she said.
