Purdue to cut staff benefits, tech costs

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (AP) - Purdue University will cut employee benefits, retirement contributions and information technology services to partially close a $67 million budget deficit for the West Lafayette campus.

Purdue treasurer and executive vice president of business and finance Al Diaz told employees Thursday that the plan includes cutting $27 million from their benefits. The annual retirement contribution would drop from an average of 14.6 percent to 10 percent. Employees now will pick up 20 percent of their health care costs, up from 13 percent.

Purdue will save $10 million more by restructuring campus information technology services, increasing energy conservation and expanding large group purchases. Another $5 million in savings will come from other steps.

The savings fall $25 million short of completely closing the deficit projected for mid-2012.