Colleges get power to furlough faculty

The presidents of Georgia’s 35 state colleges and universities can furlough employees, including faculty, for up to 10 days under a measure passed Tuesday by the Board of Regents.

The change takes effect in the fiscal year starting July 1.

“This gives our presidents the flexibility to make furlough decisions for their respective institutions if the state revenue situation continues to worsen,” said University System of Georgia Chancellor Erroll B. Davis.

Davis had said he was “philosophically opposed” to furloughs, putting employees on unpaid leave, but he backtracked after the comment stirred anger in the state legislature.

Tom Jackson, UGA’s vice president of public affairs, said the university views the regents’ decision “as a prudent planning measure, but one which we do not expect to have to utilize unless the state budget situation worsens further.”

Previously, about 10,000 of the system’s 40,000 employees were excluded by contract from furloughs. Those employees account for about half of the system’s personnel costs.

“Currently, our faculty cannot be furloughed because of legal contracts we sign with them on an annual basis,” Davis said. “The board’s action allows us to insert language into all faculty contracts that clearly outlines that furloughs are a possibility and to which the signer of the contract agrees.”

He noted there are no plans to furlough contract employees in the current fiscal year. But it could help the presidents deal with looming budget cuts.

Georgia’s higher education system, which lost $238 million in state funding this year, is expected to get a $275 million cut next year.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.