Inside Iowa State: Iowa State University

October 16, 2002

Officials encourage low staffing over holiday break

To save energy and operation costs over the winter holiday break, ISU administrators are encouraging minimum or no staffing in university offices that don't necessarily have to be open.

In a recent memo to deans, directors and department chairs, vice president for business and finance Warren Madden encouraged unit heads to be flexible in allowing employees to take time off over the holiday period (which runs from after commencement Saturday, Dec. 21, through New Year's Day, Wednesday, Jan. 1).

Options: Vacation, leave without pay, comp time
"Employees are certainly allowed to work," Madden said. "But we encourage department and unit leaders to be liberal in allowing employees to take vacation, leave without pay, or compensatory time over the holidays."

Some offices may be closed
Depending on the activity, Madden added it is permissible for supervisors to close offices, particularly small offices -- if everyone in a unit wishes to take vacation and if the office supervisor and dean agrees that the unit can be closed or phone messages forwarded to a staffed location.

"We recognize this may reduce certain services during this period of lower activity," Madden said. "We believe this is acceptable given the tight budget the university faces."

If a unit closes, the unit head should provide the dean or vice president with information on who to contact in an emergency. Phone forwarding, phone messages, office signs and Web sites can be used to let clients know where to go for emergency assistance.

Alert facilities about unoccupied areas; turn down thermostats
If a unit or portion of a building can be shut down for part of the holiday period, supervisors should alert facilities planning and management at energy@iastate.edu .

Facilities staff will cut back energy use in unoccupied areas. They also will let department of public safety staff know which areas of campus will be largely unoccupied.

Individuals can help save energy over the holiday by reducing office thermostats from 68 to 60 degrees (if areas will be unoccupied) and shutting off all nonessential items (such as computers, monitors, printers, fax machines and copy machines) when they leave for break.

Essential units will remain open
Some units can't be closed because they are vital to the university's daily operations, Madden said. These include, for example, units involving security, the power plant, animal care, snow removal and ongoing research projects.

Up to $5,000 daily savings sought
On a typical winter weekend, when most offices are closed, Iowa State saves $4,000 to $5,000 per day in energy costs (as compared to a typical weekday).

"If we can get close to those savings over winter break, it will help considerably in our goal to save $1.5 million in energy costs this fiscal year," Madden said.