Home » Morehead State announces 5-day furlough for staff, faculty

Morehead State announces 5-day furlough for staff, faculty

School president cites Gov. Matt Bevin’s budget cuts as one reason

MOREHEAD, Ky. (March 11, 2016) — Morehead State University has announced an unpaid furlough of employees—including all faculty and staff—for a five-day period, President Wayne D. Andrews said Thursday. Andrews said the current budget situation and mounting pressure added by Gov. Bevin’s proposed cuts to higher education have resulted in this decision.

seal-blueAndrews said in an email to employees:

“As you know, the university is facing a significant budget challenge–both in the current fiscal year and in planning for the 2016-17 fiscal year–due to declining enrollment and to the proposed cuts to higher education that were included in the governor’s 2016-2018 budget.

“By June 30, 2016, we must identify a total of $4,550,300 in funds to address the $2.6 million tuition shortfall and $1.95 million (4.5 percent) cut in our current year state appropriation.

“We have carefully examined all current year expenditure budgets and have identified reductions to address the $2.6 million tuition revenue shortfall. However, addressing the $1.95 million cut in current year state appropriation is a more significant challenge given that the cut was announced late in this fiscal year when most of our discretionary budget resources have been spent or committed. To address this cut, I plan to impose a five-day unpaid furlough for all unrestricted employees including faculty and staff. The five-day furlough will be scheduled March 21 through March 25 while our students are on spring break to minimize the impact on instruction and student services.”

“These cuts, and the additional cuts proposed, strain our ability to provide affordable access to quality academic programs, to educate students for careers and jobs so important to the advancement of our great state, and to take care of our community. Higher education is the solution, not the problem. Kentucky students, families, and taxpayers deserve more—much more—not less.”

Additional work is underway to identify recurring sources within MSU’s budget to address the $3.9 million cut proposed for 2016-17. The budgets of Morehead State University and other public institutions of higher education in Kentucky have been cut seven times in the past eight years, resulting in a loss of $173.5 million, or 15.6 percent, in combined net General Fund appropriations.