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Inside Iowa State, a newspaper for faculty and staff, is published by the Office of University Relations.

Feb. 27, 2009

So far, 342 employees contribute to budget reversion

by Anne Krapfl

Through last week, university budget officials knew of 252 university employees volunteering to take a furlough or leave without pay by June 30. The reduced salaries and benefits will result in an estimated one-time savings of $420,575 to Iowa State's budget for the current year.

In addition, another 90 employees have given cash gifts totaling $87,167 to the ISU Foundation to be applied against the budget cuts. The voluntary furlough/leave without pay and gift programs were announced in mid-January as ways employees could personally help meet mid-year reductions in state funding.

In two pieces, Iowa State has cut a total of $7.2 million from state appropriations to the FY09 budget in response to falling state revenues.

Ongoing process

The figures reflect furloughs processed in the January and February payrolls. It also could include employees who opted for furlough days later this fiscal year but whose departments already processed the payroll transaction. The numbers likely will change again for the March, April, May and June payrolls. For budget reduction planning, employees' decisions to take a voluntary furlough or leave without pay only had to be shared as far as the college or administrative unit. Thus, it's the changes to the university's payroll that record the amounts centrally.

The furlough figures include the president, vice presidents, associate and assistant vice presidents, associate provosts and deans (a total of 28 people) whose five-day furloughs will generate an estimated $128,900 in savings. It also includes athletics director Jamie Pollard and three head coaches (Paul Rhoads, Greg McDermott and Bill Fennelly), an estimated savings of $50,000.

The signup deadline to participate in either the furlough/leave without pay or cash gift option was Feb. 6.

Summary

Through the February payroll, 252 employees have indicated they'll take a furlough or leave without pay by June 30. Another 90 employees have sent cash gifts to the ISU Foundation to be applied to reductions in ISU's state funding.