HCC spokeswoman Kathy Flynn said that all regular part-time and 10 full-time faculty are being laid off. The college has 33 regular part-time faculty members. She noted administrators are meeting individually with the people who are being affected.

The school had 125 full-time faculty at the start of classes this fall.

Mark Murray, director of the Iowa State Education Association's regional UniServ Unit which represents faculty labor and collective bargaining issues, said, "I will be meeting with (college officials) in the next few days to go over budget concerns," he said, noting the association would "try to find out how the decision is being made."

HCC President Greg Schmitz confirmed the numbers in a memo to faculty Wednesday.

In other budget matters, Schmitz said the college anticipates finalizing a recommendation on maintenance/custodial services on or about April 21. The adminstration took bids to outsource that work to a private firm. The 22 full-time and 4 part-time HCC workers performing that work fear they will be laid off as well if a private firm is hired.

"I know that the administration has been looking at every possible way to save money," said HCC board chairman Mark Birdnow. The board has "empowered the president and his staff" to make those choices, he added. "They are required by law to create a budget that doesn't overspend."

Birdnow said faculty layoff notifications "have to be made by a certain time frame." The layoffs have yet to come before the board for action.

"The president has told the board that there are looming budget cuts that have to be made, and they are going to affect everyone at the college - including the board," said Birdnow. "We simply have no choice but to cut our budgets."

Contact Andrew Wind at (319) 291-1507 or Andrew.Wind@wcfcourier.com