Spring Break
University System may force unpaid leave on faculty, staff
Possible change unprecedented
HAYLEY PETERSON
Issue date: 3/17/09 Section: News
University faculty and staff could be required to take unpaid vacations as state legislators voice concerns that universities aren't trimming enough fat from their budgets.
"At present we are not anticipating any furloughs, but the state could order them," said Tom Jackson, vice president of public affairs for the University.
The University System of Georgia has traditionally opposed furloughs - or time off without pay - because it is a temporary solution for permanent budget cuts, said John Millsaps, spokesperson for the Board of Regents.
"[Typically] we would never consider furloughs," Millsaps said in a Thursday phone interview. "It is [University System Chancellor Erroll Davis's] last resort."
Because employment contracts protect tenured teachers from furloughs, Millsaps said University System administrators have asked their legal office to investigate "any options available to us to give us flexibility in our faculty contracts."
It turns out the University System can, in fact, implement furloughs if the Board of Regents declares a "state of exigency" - "a very serious step akin to a company declaring bankruptcy," Millsaps said.
"But that would make it very difficult to recruit faculty, and more difficult to sell bonds to create new facilities - and the board would be extremely reluctant ever to do that."
He said the Regents have not declared exigency in the board's 77 years of existence.
Consideration of furloughs comes just days after the chairman of the Georgia Higher Education Subcommittee said in a March 2 hearing that "more legislators complained to him about the lack of furloughs than any other higher education concern," according to an Athens Banner-Herald report.
But Millsaps said it would be difficult for the University System to implement furloughs fairly.
"Out of the 40,000 University System employees, there are 10,000 faculty - whose salaries account for most of payroll - so you are asking three quarters of employees who don't account for the majority of costs to take up a share of faculty salaries," he said.
"At present we are not anticipating any furloughs, but the state could order them," said Tom Jackson, vice president of public affairs for the University.
The University System of Georgia has traditionally opposed furloughs - or time off without pay - because it is a temporary solution for permanent budget cuts, said John Millsaps, spokesperson for the Board of Regents.
"[Typically] we would never consider furloughs," Millsaps said in a Thursday phone interview. "It is [University System Chancellor Erroll Davis's] last resort."
Because employment contracts protect tenured teachers from furloughs, Millsaps said University System administrators have asked their legal office to investigate "any options available to us to give us flexibility in our faculty contracts."
It turns out the University System can, in fact, implement furloughs if the Board of Regents declares a "state of exigency" - "a very serious step akin to a company declaring bankruptcy," Millsaps said.
"But that would make it very difficult to recruit faculty, and more difficult to sell bonds to create new facilities - and the board would be extremely reluctant ever to do that."
He said the Regents have not declared exigency in the board's 77 years of existence.
Consideration of furloughs comes just days after the chairman of the Georgia Higher Education Subcommittee said in a March 2 hearing that "more legislators complained to him about the lack of furloughs than any other higher education concern," according to an Athens Banner-Herald report.
But Millsaps said it would be difficult for the University System to implement furloughs fairly.
"Out of the 40,000 University System employees, there are 10,000 faculty - whose salaries account for most of payroll - so you are asking three quarters of employees who don't account for the majority of costs to take up a share of faculty salaries," he said.
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