Re: Staff Hiring for FY22
To: All staff and faculty
May 21, 2021
Colleagues,
Thank you for your efforts to support UC Merced over the past year. Your commitment to the campus has been unparalleled in this university’s history, and your support for one another has strengthened our community as we approach our physical return to campus.
You have done this during a time of considerable uncertainty. UC Merced has had to be extremely fiscally prudent — and we must continue to be. We have put on hold many vacant staff positions and new hires, adding further strain during a time that was already significantly complicated by many other factors.
We must continue to focus on additional cost-saving measures as we move forward. However, we have decided to release approximately $4 million in funds to support staff hiring in 2021-2022. With these funds we intend to fill approximately 40 staff positions to support critical needs and lessen the burden on current personnel. This decision will continue to strain our finances — but it is necessary to support the staff who have worked diligently throughout the last year and advance the mission of the university.
In addition to the $4 million we are releasing now, we hope to dedicate an additional $2 million to support approximately 20 more staff hires. However, these funds will not be released until we have been able to properly evaluate our finances after the state budget is finalized and our fall enrollment numbers are realized.
Again, we thank you for your commitment to this university and the exceptional work you have provided. We look forward to our upcoming staff hiring to expand everyone’s bandwidth and reduce the stresses staff have faced. We hope to have additional positive news to announce as fiscal circumstances become clearer and we exit the pandemic prepared to thrive into the future as a stronger and more supportive university and community.
Juan Sánchez Muñoz, Ph.D.
Chancellor
Gregg Camfield
Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost
Kurt Schnier
Interim Vice Chancellor and Chief Financial Officer
