USU Responds to Questions about Unpaid Furlough

The mandatory, unpaid furlough at Utah State University, including all regional campus and distance education sites, has prompted many questions regarding its purpose, those involved and what essential services will remain open during the spring break week it occurs, March 9-13.

The purpose behind the furlough is to address the most recent budget cut — the second of two significant budget cuts in the past six months of the current fiscal year. The first cut in the fall was $6.5 million — a 4 percent reduction. That cut was paid from ongoing university funds and included around 20 layoffs following a lengthy vetting process.

 

The second cut in January was $5.65 million — a 3.62 percent reduction. A majority of the dollars to pay for this cut will be obtained from furlough revenue. Without these dollars, the university would have been forced to immediately enact a significant layoff of its workforce.

 

The next anticipated reduction is for the 2010 fiscal year. The amount is still unknown. At this stage, potential cuts range from $18 to $30 million. Faced with these daunting numbers, FY 2010 will require that the university consider more furloughs, layoffs and program reductions. At this point, no final decisions have been made.

 

Despite the difficulties and uncertainties of the next fiscal year, President Stan L. Albrecht is making every attempt to be open and transparent about the current financial crisis and its ultimate impact on the university. By so doing, the university is aware that this precipitates private and public discussions that, unfortunately, can lead to misinformation and rumors. What follows is an update to USU’s Feb. 2 furlough announcement and a response to some questions that have surfaced since the announcement.

 

 

The funds are used to cover part of the $5.6 million reduction the university took during its second cut in January.

 

 

All university employees are required to take the week without pay, including all university administrators.

 

 

All USU employees, including those who are not state funded. The university employs 2,995: 921 full-time faculty, 36 part-time faculty, 1,779 full-time support staff and 259 part-time staff.

 

 

The need to pay back state dollars already committed necessitated immediate, across-the-board action. The university is looking into ways to ensure that future furloughs, if necessary for the next fiscal year, are administrated more fairly so as to lessen the impact on employees in the lower salary range.

 

 

No.

 

 

The fall cut was paid from ongoing university funds, and following a lengthy vetting process, included around 20 layoffs. No layoffs have occurred as a result of the second cut.

 

 

No layoffs are planned. The furlough significantly helped stave off a second round of layoffs.

 

 

Potential cuts ranging from $18 to $30 million currently being discussed by the state legislature would most likely require more drastic actions. They could be in the form of more furloughs, layoffs or program reductions, but that is yet to be determined. The magnitude of those reductions will not be known until the end of the legislative session, March 12.

 

 

Suggested text: “You have reached the Utah State University (office of/person). Due to budget cuts, university employees are on mandatory, unpaid furlough. The campus is closed Monday through Friday, March 9-13, and will reopen Monday, March 16. If you have a critical issue, you can reach the University Police at (435) 797-1939.” (Other contact information may be added, as needed.)

 

 

All nonessential services will be closed. What follows are essential services that will remain open.

 

 

-March 7-8: closed

-March 9-13: 9 a.m.-4 p.m.

-March 14: 1-5 p.m.

-March 15: 6 p.m.-midnight

 

The library will be running a skeleton crew with just one supervisor and student support. All of the behind-the-scene staff will be on furlough. The library will only offer service at the following desks:

-Circulation

-Course Reserves and Journals/Newspapers

 

The north and south Information Commons will be open

 

Special Collections & Archives will have limited service on March 10, 11 and 12 from noon to 4 p.m.

 

QuadSide Café: closed

 

 

Distribution will be open daily from 7 a.m. to noon.

Assistance will also be available at this time for UPS and FedEx package services.

 

-The Service Desk will be open with skeleton crew on duty.

-Blackboard and all other IT hosted systems will be operational during the furlough. The IT Service desk phones will be answered and if there are password problems or other issues faculty and students have, assistance will be provided. The Service desk will operate at a minimum.

 

 

The Taggart Student Center will be open on:

-March 10: 8 a.m.-5 p.m. for the History Fair

-March 13: 8 a.m.-5 p.m. for the City Youth Council

 

-Bookstore, March 10, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.

-Zions Bank, March 10 and March 13, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.

-HUB will be open on March 10 from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. 

-Quickstop will open March 10 and March 13

-Post Office, March 10 only

 

No food service will be available other than for events previously scheduled. Student meal plans traditionally do not include the week of spring break. Students are not charged for meals during that week. Student Housing does provide community kitchen areas that students who stay behind may fully access for individual meal preparations.

 

Open

 

 

March 7, 6-8 p.m.

March 8, 7:30 a.m.-9 p.m.

March 12, 1-10 p.m.

March 13, 7 a.m.- 6 p.m. 

March 14, 7 a.m.-noon

 

 

March 13, 10 a.m.-8 p.m.

March 14, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

 

 

-WAC Tournament in Reno

-Home Gymnastics meet March 13

 

-Limited office coverage for mail, etc. The housing office will be closed.

 

-The museum will be closed throughout the week.

 

-KUSU will continue to broadcast 24 hours uninterrupted during the week.

 

 

No shuttles will be running. Charted busses already scheduled will continue as scheduled.

 

People on duty and dispatch will be open the entire week.

 

 

Open. No change in schedule.

 

 

Open and operating.