Thirteen Southwestern Oregon Community College employees are looking for new jobs and another will work half-time as part of the college’s plan deal with a $2.9 million budget shortfall.

College managers broke the layoff news in person to each of the employees starting last week. All learned their positions had been cut by the beginning of this week, said Southwest-ern spokesman Rick Osborn.

Southwestern ad-ministrators made the announcements after the Board of Education approved a number of emergency cost-cutting and revenue increasing measures for its 2008-09 budget on Nov. 10.

“Though South-western has been able to save funds by not filling vacant positions left open by retirements and resignations, the college has been forced to consolidate work load wherever possible,” a Southwestern press release said.

Eliminated positions will include a part-time job in Student First Stop, assistants in several departments, a library aide, grounds worker, an English Language Institute Instructor and a grant writer.

The college’s foundation director also won’t be a full-time anymore.

A Southwestern press release said the school will offer help to the employees who lost their jobs. The college will provide job placement assistance, tuition waivers and expand its Employee Assistance Program. The program offers free counseling or treatment to employees for stress management, financial problems, personal concerns and other issues. Employees affected by the layoffs will be able to use the program for six months.

Remaining employees will have to absorb the responsibilities of those positions cut.

The college’s board of education also approved other cost-cutting and revenue expanding measures:

n Employees will take seven days unpaid between Jan. 1 and June 15.

n Materials and supply budgets have been cut by at least 10 percent and tighter standards will be used to approve all college expenditures.

n Per credit fees will increase $5.

n Vacant or soon-to-be vacant positions will not be filled.

Even Osborn’s job — director communications — like several others will not be filled once vacant. He leaves Friday.

The college also will need a $3 million loan to pay bills and employees for the rest of the year.

“In the past couple of weeks I have had to make the hardest decisions of my life in order to make sure this college is positioning itself for the future in the most fiscally responsible way possible,” Interim President Patty Scott said. “It is extremely unfortunate that Southwestern is in this position, but we have taken every pain to make sure that the changes have the least possible impact on instruction and student services.”