A member mailed us the following article about immediate furloughs and cuts at the University of Illinois. Full article is at:
An excerpt follows:
…The cuts affect employees on all three Illinois campuses, in Urbana-Champaign, Chicago and Springfield.
Ikenberry said the university faces a “cash crisis triggered by the state’s financial situation which is grim and worsening.” He said the university has only received 7 percent of this year’s state appropriation since the first of July — creating a shortfall of more than $400 million.
“At some point we will be unable to meet payroll and complete the academic year unless there are significant payments from the state as promised,” he wrote.
To preserve cash in the meantime, he asked university administrators, including chancellors and deans, to take 10 unpaid furlough days before June 15, and directed faculty and other academic professional staff to take four furlough days between February and May 15. Given the uncertain financial picture for 2011, he suggested that university administrators consider notifying employee groups of termination — something required in advance by some contracts.