The University is planning for six furlough days for administrators, faculty and staff in the upcoming school year as calls for more cuts from the Board of Regents will be firmly set next week during the board’s monthly meeting.

In an e-mail sent to faculty and staff Friday, University President Michael Adams wrote UGA has submitted a “plan for possible budget reductions at levels of 4, 6 and 8 percent from the opening fiscal year 2010 budget” depending on the board’s actions. As for furloughs, Adams wrote “the Governor has directed that all state employees take a minimum of three furlough days between now and the end of this calendar year. The Regents staff now has asked all System institutions to plan for a minimum of six furlough days for administrators, faculty and staff. While we do not yet know what action will be taken by the Board regarding furloughs, our plan does include a total of six furlough days for FY 2010.”

The e-mail notes the University has already eliminated through attrition “121 faculty positions, 123 staff positions, 47 graduate assistant positions and 52 student worker positions.” Adams wrote that depending on the percentage cut to be decided next week, layoffs are a possibility.

Adams will hold a public briefing session scheduled for Aug. 20 at 11 a.m. in the Tate Student Center Theatre to discuss the budget changes.

Here is a copy of the e-mail:

August 7, 2009
TO: UGA Faculty and Staff
FROM: Michael F. Adams, President
RE: Response to Board of Regents Request for UGA Budget Plan

At the request of the Board of Regents staff to all University System institutions, the University of Georgia has submitted an additional plan for possible budget reductions at levels of 4, 6 and 8 percent from the opening fiscal year 2010 budget. The Regents will adopt a University System budget reduction plan for fiscal years 2010 and 2011 at their meeting August 11 and 12. Until the Regents act, UGA’s submission is just a proposal and the board’s actions on the budgets may change our plans.

As previously announced, the Governor has directed that all state employees take a minimum of three furlough days between now and the end of this calendar year. The Regents staff now has asked all System institutions to plan for a minimum of six furlough days for administrators, faculty and staff. While we do not yet know what action will be taken by the Board regarding furloughs, our plan does include a total of six furlough days for FY 2010. A specific plan to implement these six days will be announced after the Regents take final action.

Under previous budget reductions, the university already has eliminated through attrition 121 faculty positions, 123 staff positions, 47 graduate assistant positions and 52 student worker positions. Further reductions in the number of faculty and staff positions will be required to achieve the new 4, 6 and 8 percent plans, with some layoffs becoming possible as budget reductions escalate. Specific positions that might be affected by layoffs are not identified in the plan submitted to the Regents. Layoffs continue to be a possibility, not a certainty.

I expect to have firm direction from the Board of Regents following its August meeting, and will provide a full overview for the campus at a budget briefing session scheduled for Thursday, August 20 at 11 a.m. in the Tate Student Center Theatre. Like previous briefings, this will be open to the public and will be made available on the UGA home page at www.uga.edu.

As I know you do, I greatly regret the negative impact such reductions have on our loyal faculty and staff personally, on the quality of academic offerings, and on the core missions of the University of Georgia. However, we have 34,000 reasons to continue providing the very best education and support services we possibly can. These are our students who return to campus in a matter of days. They deserve our strongest efforts, and I know you will join me in providing to them the very best academic experience we can even in these difficult financial circumstances. Thank you for your extraordinary efforts in difficult times and for your dedication to maintaining the mission of the University of Georgia.