Furloughs?

[quasihumanist]

The question remains why educated people continued to be faculty even before the Covid shutdown.

Because the vast majority of for-profit companies are fraudulent institutions I am unwilling to work for, and, as a pacifist, I'm also unwilling to work in about three-quarters of the government.

Have you really looked under the hood for non-profit academic institutions?  I'm much more willing to be in the honest defense business than pretending to be in the education business and claim to be good because non-profit.

Yeah, i'm considering the possibility that universities are mostly frauds too.  I'm pretty close to having enough to stop working for money if I'm willing to live on rice and beans the rest of my life - seriously I might go be a peace activist.

[mahagonny]

The question remains why educated people continued to be faculty even before the Covid shutdown.

Because the vast majority of for-profit companies are fraudulent institutions I am unwilling to work for, and, as a pacifist, I'm also unwilling to work in about three-quarters of the government.

Have you really looked under the hood for non-profit academic institutions?  I'm much more willing to be in the honest defense business than pretending to be in the education business and claim to be good because non-profit.

Yeah, i'm considering the possibility that universities are mostly frauds too.  I'm pretty close to having enough to stop working for money if I'm willing to live on rice and beans the rest of my life - seriously I might go be a peace activist.

Not out and out frauds. Rackets. Fleecing, extortion.

[ciao_yall]

And then they howl when the state wants to increase payments to the pension plan to start topping up, because "Isn't it supposed to be a 'pay-as-you-go' system?"

One counterpoint to this that I've noted. In the pat, at times when pension funds ran surpluses, unions fought to have contributions reduced, rather than allow the surplus to build for a rainy day. When they have done that, they have to accept some responsibility themselves for getting wet when it rains.

Of course. That's the natural political response - push the costs out to the future.

[spork]

Looks like our library has closed completely for the summer. Two positions eliminated and furloughs for nearly everyone else. As usual, faculty weren't warned in advance that the limited services that had been available were going away.

[mamselle]

Looks like our library has closed completely for the summer. Two positions eliminated and furloughs for nearly everyone else. As usual, faculty weren't warned in advance that the limited services that had been available were going away.

Eek--did you have a study area or books on hold that you needed?

A friend of mine missed the one day notice back in the spring when their library was closed, and has had to re-calibrate all the book preparations she and a co-author had made.

I don't think they've been allowed in yet....couldn't even get permission to have security walk them over and go with them to get their things.

M.

[spork]

Looks like our library has closed completely for the summer. Two positions eliminated and furloughs for nearly everyone else. As usual, faculty weren't warned in advance that the limited services that had been available were going away.

Eek--did you have a study area or books on hold that you needed?

A friend of mine missed the one day notice back in the spring when their library was closed, and has had to re-calibrate all the book preparations she and a co-author had made.

I don't think they've been allowed in yet....couldn't even get permission to have security walk them over and go with them to get their things.

M.

I am fine for the most part. But other faculty were expecting books that they were going to use to prepare for fall courses.

[polly_mer]

University of Vermont imposing furloughs and considering not paying earned vacation for employees leaving the institution: https://vtdigger.org/2020/06/05/uvm-cuts-salaries-for-non-unionized-staff-and-faculty-hints-at-furloughs/

In addition, the University of Vermont closed permanently the childcare center: https://vtdigger.org/2020/06/01/uvm-campus-childrens-school-closes/

[spork]

All admin support (a.k.a. secretaries) have been furloughed for the remainder of the summer at my university.

[mamselle]

Yikes. That's short-sighted.

As a mug I once had proclaimed, on two sides: "Secretaries....secretly run the world"

M.

[Cheerful]

All admin support (a.k.a. secretaries) have been furloughed for the remainder of the summer at my university.

Sorry to hear that.  Sad for the people furloughed.  Faculty and other staff will likely do extra clerical work with no extra pay (along with other extra work on course prep, etc.).  You reported earlier that your u library is closed.  How can there be a "university" without a library?

The 5% pay cut for those with salaries above $60k at Colorado Boulder (polly_mer posted on another thread) is troubling.  A full year:  July/August 2020 to June/August 2021.  It also reduces employer retirement contributions based on salary.  Doesn't sound like they plan to pay it back the following year.  Staff, not faculty, get 12 new paid leave days.

https://www.colorado.edu/today/2020/06/11/upcoming-pay-reductions-furloughs-impact-cu-boulder-employees-earning-more-60000
https://www.colorado.edu/hr/covid-19-guidance/furlough-unemployment

Some universities are waiting to see what the feds do for higher ed in the next aid package before announcing pay cuts, etc.

[the_geneticist]

University of Vermont imposing furloughs and considering not paying earned vacation for employees leaving the institution: https://vtdigger.org/2020/06/05/uvm-cuts-salaries-for-non-unionized-staff-and-faculty-hints-at-furloughs/

In addition, the University of Vermont closed permanently the childcare center: https://vtdigger.org/2020/06/01/uvm-campus-childrens-school-closes/

Closing the childcare is going to have unforeseen consequences.  Anyone with young children is going to have to scramble to find childcare (faculty, staff, & students).  Folks who can do their job remotely are still hurt by that closure.  It's not possible to work full-time and parent full-time (No I don't have kids, but even I know that babies do not "sleep all day" and toddlers can't be left to self entertain).

[secundem_artem]

Staff furloughs start July 1.  Across the board salary reductions projected to start Sept 1 but amounts have not been divulged. 

[clean]

some schools in SC put on furloughs of up to 20 days:

https://www.wbtw.com/news/grand-strand/coastal-carolina-university-mandatory-furlough-plan-approved/

https://www.thestate.com/news/local/education/article243708627.html

[Bonnie]

some schools in SC put on furloughs of up to 20 days:

https://www.wbtw.com/news/grand-strand/coastal-carolina-university-mandatory-furlough-plan-approved/

https://www.thestate.com/news/local/education/article243708627.html

Wow that Coastal plan is a tough one. 20 mandatory days for everyone making over just $35,751. That's ROUGH.

[Harlow2]

Like Jerseyjay's university upthread ours imposed furloughs in 2008 that required faculty to fulfill all responsibilities.  To make the furloughs seem legitimate we were supposed to be off campus when not doing so. The payouts of course had big downstream consequences for social security and retirement.  We know they are coming here, but don't know details; hoping for more clarity soon. And teaching loads have increased.