Team,
Since arriving at Idaho State, I have strived to be transparent and forthright about the challenges facing our University. The last six weeks have compounded what was an already challenging financial situation. This time has caused us to face difficult decisions that will directly impact all members of our Bengal community.
But as I said last week, I am choosing to weather these difficulties with hope for a brighter tomorrow. It is our hope that we will be able to resume normal operations at the start of the fall semester, and we will also stand ready to make adjustments as necessary. I believe taking action now and preparing for the future will provide for the long-term well-being of our students, our community, and the University.
Last week, the University’s Leadership Council met to discuss next year’s budget and our plan for collectively addressing decreased revenue projections and appropriations. As I sat in those meetings, I was inspired by how the team came together to discuss and plan for our greatest needs. The outcomes of these efforts are summarized in
last week’s video
and the division and college presentations have been
posted online
. I invite all members of our campus community to review the proposals that were discussed. The next step is for our State Board of Education to approve our budget for next year.
Responding to Immediate Challenges
As many of you know, we have already put a number of changes into effect to begin addressing our financial losses. To date, we have:
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- Implemented a strategic hiring freeze
- Made reductions in spending for the fourth quarter of our current fiscal year
- Planned for strategic FY21 budget reductions
- Delayed or eliminated non-essential capital projects
Mandatory Furloughs: Fiscal Year 2021 (June 28, 2020 through June 26, 2021)
Today, I am announcing the difficult decision to implement an employee furlough plan during the next fiscal year. It is important to me that this plan be as equitable as possible. While it will not impact all employees identically, it is a tier-based approach that will be distributed according to salary range. It is our hope that furloughing will, in the end, help us to protect jobs and limit a greater impact in the future. There is nothing more important to us than the people in our campus community, and we will do all we can to support our employees and keep the overall impact to an absolute minimum.
Between June 28, 2020, and June 26, 2021, all University employees, faculty and staff alike, who earn $40,000 or more a year, will be required to take a number of unpaid days according to the salary schedule below. Mandatory furlough days can start as early as June 28, 2020, and half of each person’s furlough days must be taken by December 31, 2020.
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Furlough Days
12-month appointment*
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*These days will be prorated to the nearest half-day for employees on partial-year appointments.
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Logistics for how this FY21 plan will be implemented are still being developed to ensure this furlough will be as simple as possible for individuals and departments to manage, while also minimizing disruption and impact to students. Due to the nature of faculty contracts, workloads, nine-month contracts, and to ensure that faculty furlough days do not impact student instruction, Academic Affairs, HR, and Faculty Senate will be collaborating to develop how this furlough plan will be best implemented for faculty. At this time, questions about furloughs should be directed to Human Resources. Additional information will be provided to campus no later than June 1, 2020.
Voluntary Furloughs: May 6, 2020 through June 26, 2021
Over the past few weeks, I have received many questions about the possibility of voluntary furloughs. Effective immediately and through June 30, 2021, Idaho State has implemented a voluntary furlough option for the remainder of FY20 that will continue through FY21. Employees who would like to volunteer to take up to a maximum of five additional furlough days will need to work directly with their supervisor for approval as outlined on the
furlough website
. Participation in this plan is completely optional. Those who choose to volunteer will be taking furlough days in addition to those required in the FY21 furlough plan.
Our Future
Idaho State is a resilient institution, and we will emerge stronger on the other side of the crisis—just as we have in the past. I know that this is tough, and these announced furloughs will impact each of you, please know that I recognize this hardship. As president, I will take additional mandatory furlough days, and I will also take the full five allowed voluntary days. Our shared efforts will ensure that the University can deliver on our mission to better the lives of our students. I am humbled by your dedication to our University and your many outstanding contributions, especially during this difficult time. Thank you for your continued support and for being an important part of our campus community.
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Kevin
Kevin Satterlee
President
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This email was sent to all Idaho State University employees.
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