KBIA: UM Board of Curators Approves Forsee's Measures (2009-02-06)

KBIA Local

UM Board of Curators Approves Forsee's Measures

Sean Powers (2009-02-06)

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COLUMBIA, MO (KBIA) - The UM board of curators has approved three measures that could impact employees across the four-campus university system. UM President Gary Forsee had requested that the curators grant him the authority to implement staff furloughs, or unpaid leave. And he had sought the approval of "transitional assistance" that would provide healthcare to university employees who are laid off.

In Friday's decision, the curators gave Forsee the approval to implement furloughs, but with the proviso that the President get final approval from the board before enacting the measure. Forsee says a furlough would be used only as a last resort.

"All we have asked to do at this point in time is for permission from the curators to start to plan, so that we can under which groups may be impacted if in fact we have to implement that action, and my hope is that we don't have to do that."

The board approved Forsee's request for "transitional assistance" of healthcare for laid-off workers. The curators decision came today in the second day of a two-day meeting on MU's campus. The board also voted to require employees to contribute a portion of their salaries into the university's retirement account, at a rate of one percent for employees earning under 50,000 dollars; and two percent for those earning more than 50,000 dollars. MU's Faculty Council Chair Tom Phillips says he agrees with the board's decision to combat potential shortfalls in the pension fund.

"Clearly the faculty aren't happy that their take home pay is going down, but I think it's important that we look at the bigger picture. There are real problems coming with the pension, and it's important to keep that fully funded."

UM's Vice President of finance Nikki Krawitz says the furlough measure would only be taken if the unexpected happens - such as a reduction to state appropriations this year.

Just before his state of the state address in late January, Governor Jay Nixon announced there would be no reductions to higher education in fiscal year 2010. That was followed though by the discovery that the governor's plan did include a 14-million dollar reduction to the Extension budget. Krawitz says there's no way to know if there will be additional cuts to higher education, and some of the measures approved by the board are precautionary, because UM system leaders don't know what's coming.

"We have no idea. All we know is we wake up in the morning and listen to the same news that everybody else does about the economy. We don't feel we can accurately predict what's going to happen."