Georgia colleges to furlough employees 6 days

By Laura Diamond

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Professors and other employees at Georgia’s public colleges and universities will take six furlough days as part of a large-scale plan to slash budgets.

The state Board of Regents approved the mandatory unpaid leave for about 40,000 employees Wednesday as a way to save the University System of Georgia about $42 million.

The furloughs are among a series of cuts facing the system’s 35 colleges as Georgia suffers through the current economic crisis. University officials said the cuts will result in larger classes and fewer course offerings and could make it difficult for students to graduate on time.

Chancellor Erroll B. Davis Jr. said the system will do its best to weather the cuts, but worried about the long-term impact.

“There is danger for us not being able to maintain academic excellence in the classroom,” Davis told board members.

All state agencies are making cuts, and some have asked employees to take one furlough day a month, said Bert Brantley, a spokesman for Gov. Sonny Perdue. Each agency has flexibility on how to make cuts so as to maintain critical services, he said.

“With state government, a lot of the expense is people,” Brantley said. “The way to save on people is through pay cuts, layoffs or furloughs. We are trying to avoid massive layoffs.”

The budget cuts come when a record number of Georgians are enrolling in college. About 290,000 students are expected this year. Fall semester at many campuses begins Monday.

Perdue ordered all state employees to take three furlough days by the end of 2009.

University System employees will take at least three days by the end of the calendar year and the remainder by the end of the fiscal year, June 2010. Each institution will decide how its employees take furloughs, but local leaders cannot cancel classes.

Employees who make less than $23,660 a year are exempt.

Mark Becker, president of Georgia State University, sent a letter to staff Wednesday saying they will be required to take eight furlough days — two more than what was mandated by the regents. Becker wrote the additional days are required to “meet our budgetary requirements.” Becker and other senior leadership are planning to take 12 unpaid days.

Georgia Tech designated Dec. 21-24 as a required four-day furlough, according to a letter President G.P. “Bud” Peterson sent staff. The dates coincide with winter break. The college is developing plans for the remaining two furlough days, he wrote.

University of Georgia President Michael Adams is scheduled to discuss furloughs and other budget cuts during a public briefing scheduled for next Thursday.

The state is withholding 5 percent of the University System’s money and has warned the amount could increase unless revenue improves.

As a result, the University System asked each college to explain how it would cut spending by 4 percent, 6 percent and 8 percent. An 8 percent reduction, including the three furlough days mandated by Perdue, would cut about $176 million from the system’s nearly $2.08 billion budget.

The regents approved the plans, and Davis said many recommendations won’t be implemented until the state decides how much must be cut. Still, he said campuses are forced to reduce spending because the state is withholding some money.

The campus plans include eliminating jobs, curtailing remedial education programs and cutting back on library hours and services.

Should the University System have to cut budgets by 8 percent, student fees would increase by $75, $100 or $150 a semester, depending on the institution. Student fees currently range from $117 to $655 a semester, depending on the college.

Usha Ramachandran, vice chancellor for fiscal affairs, described the fee increase as “a last resort.” The regents did not approve the fee increase Wednesday, but Ramachandran said the system would bring the request before the board if needed.

The newest round of cuts follow a 5.5 percent reduction in state funding — about $275 million — colleges already dealt with for the fiscal year that began July 1.

College reductions

Georgia college leaders are expecting to cuts millions from their budgets because of revenue shortfalls. The state is withholding 5 percent of the University System of Georgia’s money, and the amount could increase if the economy worsens.

The University System required all 35 institutions to explain how they would handle budget cuts of 4 percent, 6 percent or 8 percent. Here are three examples:

University of Georgia

4 percent: Eliminate 206 open positions. Eliminate 352 of the more than 10,000 course sections. Reduce travel budgets by about $448,000 out of a $2 million base.

6 percent: Eliminate 370 positions, including 136 layoffs, three of which would be faculty members. Eliminate 623 course sections. Cut travel budget by about $919,000.

8 percent: Eliminate 623 positions, including 229 layoffs, of which 10 would be faculty. Eliminate 877 course sections. Cut travel budget by $962,000.

Georgia Tech

4 percent: Eliminate 30 open positions. Cut spending for library and reduce travel.

6 percent: Lay off about 55 people (no faculty layoffs at this level). Eliminate a total of 55 vacant positions.

8 percent: Lay off a total of 87 people, including 12 faculty. Steeper cuts for library acquisitions. Eliminate a total of 80 vacant positions.

Georgia State

4 percent: Furlough all employees for six days. Deans, vice presidents and the college president would take 12 unpaid days. Eliminate 18 positions, cut travel and reduce library hours.

6 percent: Increase furloughs to eight days. Eliminate 62 positions and lay off 10 people. Charge students to use facilities on weekends.

8 percent: Furlough days increase to 10. Eliminate 117 jobs (with 10 layoffs) and charge students to use facilities on weekends.

Source: University System of Georgia