NSU announces bonuses despite recent layoffs

Three weeks after Nova Southeastern University laid off part of its workforce, its president has announced bonuses for remaining staffers.

George L. Hanbury II, the private university’s president and chief executive officer, told employees in a May 17 memo that fulltime staffers will get $1,000 and part-timers $600 in a special June paycheck as part of the university’s merit pay program.

“Since beginning my term as President in 2011 and according to U.S. Department of Labor statistics, we have been able to provide our faculty and staff with wage increases that have outpaced the consumer price index, and this year’s merit bonus continues that commitment,” Hanbury wrote.

He does not mention the layoffs. On April 26, the Davie-based university cut 101 administrative staffers, which affected about 2 percent of its 5,000 employees.

NSU’s enrollment has been spiraling downward. It has about 22,000 students, a contraction from 29,000 in 2011.

The bonuses had been long-planned, university spokesman Brandon Hensler said Tuesday.

“The merit bonus announced last week was in this current year’s budget to recognize the hard work of our talented employees (one-time, non-recurring expense),” Hensler said in a statement.

He said the layoffs were to “bring us into alignment with industry norms for employment levels given our size as one of South Florida’s largest private employers … ”

In the memo to employees, Hanbury extolled the university’s accomplishments over the past year, including its improved ranking to 191 out of 312 universities listed as the Best Colleges according to U.S. News & World Report. The university’s previous ranking was 198.

Hanbury also announced an extended winter break for employees, similar to last year, from Dec. 23 to Jan. 2.

NOVA SOUTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY Nova Southeastern University’s enrollment has gone from 29,000 in 2011 to about 22,000 students.