“Eastern Gateway Community College has been an invaluable resource for our community, our students, and their families for nearly 60 years. Despite the challenges stemming from mismanagement and the changing landscape of this institution over the last several years, the 138 members of the Eastern Gateway Community College Education Association have remained steadfast in their commitment to providing all students – on campus and online – with the best education possible to prepare them for their future lives and careers,” said EGCCEA President Jim Corrin. “We want nothing more than to continue providing excellent education in this community, but we need answers from the Board about whether our positions will continue to exist after the spring semester, how long this “pause” in enrollment may last, and whether there will eventually be a college to return to here.”
“The Board’s vote to suspend EGCC operations and initiate another round of staff layoffs is truly a devastating blow to the college’s students and the faculty and staff who have dedicated their lives and careers to serving them. State leaders must rise to the challenge of this moment and provide meaningful support for the 40 EGCC staff who will need immediate job placement assistance, as well as for potentially countless others who have been left in limbo by the Board’s lack of transparency on its decisions and timelines,” OEA President Scott DiMauro added. “The Board’s vote on Wednesday started a countdown clock to the end of the spring semester. EGCC students and staff can’t afford to have leaders wait around or build layers of red tape and bureaucracy. They need a plan and a path forward today.”