Thursday, July 16, 2009
The University has announced a new “All University Furlough Policy,” which allows the University to put faculty, staff and student employees on involuntary and unpaid temporary leave of absence for budgetary reasons. The policy was enacted Friday.
Student employees include student hourly employees, graduate research assistants and graduate teaching assistants.
Barbara Atkinson, interim chancellor, said the policy was designed to fulfill the University’s fiscal responsibilities during times of budgetary constraints or reductions.
Atkinson said the policy allowed the University to reduce employees’ salaries, reduce hourly rates of pay and implement furloughs, as necessary. She said it was developed in case the University experienced more losses in state funding.The University’s budget has already been cut by $32.3 million, or 12%, this year.
The policy states that reductions might be of a temporary or permanent nature, depending upon the severity of the constraints or reductions.
“It says we could do it,” Atkinson said. “We all sincerely hope we don’t have to.”
Danny Anderson, interim provost, said he did not know yet if the University would need to implement the furlough policy.
“Furloughs are a temporary solution that could be used to respond to further reductions in state funds,” Anderson said. “Furloughs are temporary, they save jobs, and, in spite of disruptions, they provide continuity for our operations. Lay-offs are permanent, eliminate jobs, and cause greater disruption.”
If the furlough plan is put into effect, Anderson said, students would be affected in a variety of ways. He said employees who were on furlough could not answer work-related e-mails and could not respond to telephone queries. He said services would be slower in offices that serve students and faculty-member office hours would be affected.
“A furlough is a temporary solution. We’re looking at a couple of years that we think are going to be challenges,” Anderson said. “Furloughs are strategies for addressing one step at a time, which has been the way we approached this.”
— — Edited by Dylan Sands
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Comments
University could put workers on unpaid leave
I wonder how many employees and days could be saved from furlough if the new Chancellor wouldn't accept the approximately $85,000 MORE per year than Chancellor Hemenway ever got paid. I wonder how they could even think of paying her more, especially that much more, than Chancellor Hemenway when the economy is so bad.
I don't know about wealthy donors, but if I were ever wealthy enough to donate a substantial sum of money to the University, I would not restrict my donation to be used to pay the Chancellor.
What about services paid for solely through student fees? Will they be affected by the furloughs, even though the state offers $0 to them?
How about we charge the Athletics corporation more for the use of the buses and parking lots? If they can pay Mangino and Self, they can surely afford to give the University substantially more money.
I wonder if students will get a corresponding pro rata refund of tuition for class days missed due to furlough.
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