Seven UW athletic staff members are being laid off as the department continues shedding dollars from its annual operating budget, school officials announced yesterday.

Those affected by the move were notified earlier in the day and have been given a two-month notice, as well as support in finding new jobs.

In the last 13 days, the athletic department has eliminated 13 positions. Included are the jobs of four swimming coaches who were let go with the discontinuation of the men’s and women’s programs, announced May 1.

Two open positions will not be filled. Three other staff members will see their year-long appointments reduced to either 10 or 11 months.

The moves are part of a departmental effort to shave $2.8 million from the annual operating budget. The layoffs are expected to account for $600,000 in budget reductions, while the discontinuation of the swimming program is expected to save $1.2 million.

The remaining $1 million in cuts are likely to come from general reductions in the department’s operating and administrative budget, according to a school release.

“[The] decision regarding our swimming program, coupled with today’s announcement of job layoffs, impacts a lot of people, and I wish we were not in this situation,” said UW athletic director Scott Woodward in the release. “We have a very talented, committed staff, and for any of them to lose their jobs like this is just very hard. Our focus as a department right now is to help those affected by these cuts in any way we can.”

No other sports programs are expected to be cut, and the school is honoring existing scholarship agreements with its swimmers.

The Huskies fielded men’s swimming since the program’s inception in 1932 and a women’s squad since 1975.

Last week, UW President Mark Emmert told The Daily that declining revenue stemming from the football team’s poor play, along with a lower season-ticket renewal rate for next season are the main reasons why the athletic department is seeing a budget shortfall.

About 90 percent of last year’s season-ticket sales, approximately 43,500 not including students or faculty, has been reached.

Football is the school’s anchor sport, bringing in about 85 percent of the revenue for the athletic department, which is self-sustaining. Men’s basketball helps fund the rest.

The UW, as a whole, is facing serious cuts across the board, which will likely translate to higher tuition rates for next year and add to the cost of scholarships for student-athletes.

The decreased return on the department’s endowments has also played a role in the decision to make cuts, Woodward said last week.

“While our budget reduction will have a stressful short-term impact on the department, these cuts, regrettably, are necessary to preserve the viability of our remaining sports programs,” Woodward said. “We expect this action, over the long term, to allow us to continue to serve our student-athletes and fans, remain self-sufficient and continue to maintain a positive fund balance.”

Reach reporter Maks Goldenshteyn at sports@dailyuw.com.