UD eliminates 9 jobs in advancement division

DAYTON — The University of Dayton eliminated nine jobs from its advancement division on Monday, Oct. 19, as part of a restructuring plan.

Advancement division responsibilities include fundraising, constituent relations, alumni outreach, and marketing and communications. University officials on Wednesday confirmed that the nine positions include three in development, two in marketing, two in communications, one in constituent relations and one that was vacant.

The department will be advertising four new positions, according to Deborah Read, vice president of university advancement. The affected employees can apply for these and other open positions on campus, she said.

“These decisions were made to create a better alignment with our priorities and were not based on the performance of the individuals,” Read said.

Those priorities include enhancing the university’s reputation, engaging more alumni and raising higher levels of private support, she said.

In July, the university invested an additional $500,000 in the division’s budget to support marketing efforts and campaign initiatives, Read said. UD officials declined to release the division’s annual budget.

UD on Oct. 15 appointed James Brothers as associate vice president for development, the university’s top fundraising role. Brothers’ promotion was not related to the restructuring, officials said.

The affected employees have been offered a severance package, extended medical and dental benefits, out-placement support and employee assistance program benefits. One employee is eligible to retire, Read said.

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