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Clemson University prepares for possibility of more budget cuts
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CLEMSON UNIVERSITY — By July 30 all of Clemson University’s workers will have taken five days of unpaid leave to help the school respond to a $25 million state funding shortage, but it could get worse.
"We have good reason to believe there will be another shortfall (sometime in the future)," said Lawrence Nichols, chief human resource officer.
Clemson President James Barker is establishing at least six and likely as many as 10 committees to deal with what could bex the next round of state budget cuts. Each committee will be given a set amount of money to cut from the Clemson budget by February.
Clemson Faculty Senate President J. Bryan Simmons wasn’t included as much as he’d like, he said, in the roughly two-week process leading up to recent decisions about budget cuts at the school, which were announced to him Monday afternoon and to the rest of the university community shortly after that.
But Simmons said, "I trust in the president and provost. They’ve served us well for over 10 years, and we’re not going to let a rough week or two ruin that. Let’s give them a chance."
Faculty, staff, undergraduate and graduate senates at the school are being provided the chance to be members of those six to 10 committees that are being established, Simmons said.
If Crockett, Simmons and others had allowed to be involved earlier than they were in the budget decisions, it would have taken longer to make those choices, and employees would have had less time over which to spread their required furlough days, Nichols said.
"The longer it took, the greater the pain would be," he said.
Staff Senate President Dave Crockett shares Simmons’ acceptance of the private way the president handled the situation, but both said they want involvement and an open process for the next stage of potential cuts.
The state has cut roughly $25 million worth of state money for Clemson this year. Budget measures announced by officials of the university in recent weeks will save Clemson roughly $16 million.
In addition to the furloughs, Clemson is halting construction on six buildings, freezing non-essential hiring and cutting some temporary positions as well as non-essential travel. These are all characterized by the administration as short-term fixes, while the planned committees will be dealing with long-term solutions.
The furloughs are preferable to a comparable pay cut, because any pay cut would be permanent unless it could be reversed in more flush times, Nichols said.
Several faculty members suggested a graduated furlough, where lower-paid staff members and others would have fewer furloughed days, paid for by more furlough days for those higher on the pay scale.
Nichols said he believes state law requires the furlough to be enforced across-the-board, but Crockett said there might be some way for a more progressive furlough.
"It doesn’t say they have to take the same number of hours," Crockett said.
Hourly employees will have the money deducted from their paychecks when they take their furlough days. Salaried employees will have a total of five days worth of pay deducted from each of their paychecks starting Dec. 1, but can take the days anytime between then and May 16 (for nine-month employees) or June 30 (for 12-month employees), except when they’re supposed to be in a classroom.
"Furlough time should not come from your teaching time," Simmons said.
Most graduate students who are paid with federal money for performing teaching duties will not face furloughs.
Employees can’t apply their summer days off to the furlough days, and the days will not count for unemployment benefits.
Faculty members who work 12-month schedules will see an average pay reduction of 1.9 percent, and nine-month employees will see an average reduction of 2.3 percent, Nichols said. That’s roughly 2.5 hours worth of pay each pay period, he said.
Simmons is normally trying to make sure athletics also are affected by university budget cuts. But on Tuesday he said he was thankful that athletics revenue is contributing to the shortfall in addition to the furlough days for coaches.
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Most obivious question - where is the $80KK - rainy day fund - as described by Sams and Barker when cornered. It's seems pretty cloudy at my alma mater!! Another indication of the totally out of touch mentality of the Clemson "upper level" administration with the employees of the University. This ego, greed, selfish, philandering group that values their perks and fun above the good of the University and the dedicated employees that make every effort to serve the SC taxpayer. Nichols "we think that we have to furlough equally across the board" - Gosh, Lawrence, seems you might know the exact answer to something - haven't talked to Barker on the details? Truth is, this Admin could really give a darn as long as they remain the beneficiaries of ill gotten rewards. Did some of those guys get a strange "out of sequence" pay raise just a few weeks ago to help offset this furlough? Have they reduced any out of norm perks - luxury vehicles, golf carts to tool about the campus, 40" Computer screens - ?? Nope, you won't find that in their plans!! Where is the $80KK?? Why is this being handled in such a mysterious behind the door decision? Has anyone - outside the "circle" asked, demanded - what facts, data prompted this decision to do this in this way? Seems the BOT was no advised - We keep hoping that some "discovery" will bring to the public's awareness, the answer to so many "unasked" questions! Who does the Clemson Admin work for? Who do they serve? Only Mr. Barker & "friends"?
Enough is enough about the $80 million. It's money that is already committed to be spent - like on construction projects that aren't completed yet. State law requires the university and all state agencies to carry over that money from year to year as an "unrestricted fund balance." It's not money that's sitting around in a box somewhere to be spent on expenses like salaries, electricity, police cars, etc. The facts have been reported in the media since last year, but people keep repeating the incorrect information. FYI: The fund balance at CU is 12.6% of the operating budget. At USC: 23.8%, at Lander: 21.9%. It's time to set the record straight about this issue.
Leave it to government to resolve budget woes at the expense of employees instead of passing it on to the customers.
in response to andersonnews2008
evidently you are not paying tuition.........they have maxed out the customers and the customer's lenders...
you obviously cannot just keep raising the price without running into a wall of reality eventually....
Tom Clemson envisioned a "college for the common citizen", not a kindergarten for spoiled rich brats.
in response to 33dtb
Unless there is a legal reason for not passing the cost on to the customer, then they can...and most students will continue to attend. There are other students waiting to get in when another leaves. Clemson is still much cheaper than many colleges nationwide.
in response to aspecialtiger
I agree> It's poring, where is the 80 million dollar rainy day fund.
Where is the leardership on this campus? We were expecting a decision and instead Clemson's leadership punted and gave everyone a 5 days of upaid leave. This decision hurts the most vulnerable employees. The decision fails to address the bloated administration structure, does not propose cuts to salaries of administrators who received 40 to 100% increases during the past four years, to cut the newly hired "lecturers" who serve in administative positions, or to cut fluff courses or programs such as CU 101 and e-portfolios. In short, the administration does not want to make the hard decisions, instead they will turn the difficult decisions over to commitees. Stand up and be leaders. That is what you are paid to do.
in response to andersonnews2008
Like I said, obviously you're not paying tuition.
And the CU I graduated is NOT the Clemson now.
It's all corporate,money- grubbing,and has entirely too much administrative FAT & waste, and don't try to say differently, because I worked there in middle management for 17 years.
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