Officials at the University of the District of Columbia have turned to taxpayer funding as a source for severance packages aligned with employee layoffs.
While University President Allen Sessoms insisted just a couple months ago in an interview with The Washington Informer that all was well with the Northwest D.C. school, plans were on the table to fire about two dozen staff and faculty members in order to sustain a reasonable operating budget. At that time, the University had already fired 30 faculty and staff members, and considered slashing several programs and curriculums.
However, reports have stated that UDC has been in financial trouble for years, and that in order to increase its financial flow, officials had recently taken steps to make the community college that the University operates, part of the main campus.
UDC officials have requested some $4 million from taxpayer coffers to cover the severance packages, but Mayor Vincent Gray is reluctant to offer assistance, saying he'd like to know more about where the money is going, and what impact the funding would have on the school's vision as it moves forward.