NAU considers unpaid furloughs like ASU's

  PHOENIX - Arizona State University is forcing all 12,000 of its workers to take at least 10 days off, without pay, between now and June 30 to cut expenses.

  The move, announced late Wednesday by ASU President Michael Crow, will cut expenses by $24 million. Crow, who is included in the mandate, said that will go a long way to dealing with what could be up to a $60 million midyear reduction in state funding for his school.

  Crow, along with his counterparts at the other two state universities, got permission to order furloughs Tuesday from the Arizona Board of Regents.

  Meanwhile, Lisa Nelson, Northern Arizona University director of public affairs, said that NAU President John Haeger announced that furloughs are a possibility in Flagstaff as well as Yuma.

  Before any action is taken, she said, Haeger will gather input from faculty and staff. If furloughs do become a part of budget-balancing measures, they will not be pursued at the same level as was done at ASU.

  "We will wait until we know what is done by the Legislature and approved by Gov. (Jan) Brewer," Nelson said. "NAU is under a hiring freeze but some critical positions will be filled to serve the needs of students."

  Nelson pointed out Arizona's economy has relied upon construction and tourism, which has been hit hard in the current economy. Arizona has already lost many qualified professionals to neighboring states and it needs to cultivate its own pool of professionals in biotechnology, health care, medicine and engineering to produce a qualified work force to help the state diversify the economy, she stressed.

  Board of Regents members have offered to cut state funding for universities by $100 million this year as their share of the $1.6 billion deficit. And they authorized the presidents of the three schools to begin taking steps to meet those goals, even before submitting the plan to the Legislature.

  So far, though, the smallest cut being proffered is close to $130 million from House Republicans.

  Crow said the requirement will not affect classes, as the approximately 4,300 faculty members will be expected to take their 12 days off on days they are not scheduled to teach. He said that, coupled with requirements for supervisors to stagger their time off, ensures that the university will remain "operational and complete the academic semester on time.''

  Others who have to take 12 days off include librarians, advisers and mid-level administrators.

  The group of 200 top administrators, including Crow, will have to take 15 days without pay; classified staff - ranging from maintenance staff and secretaries to the university's public relations staff - will have a 10-day furlough.

  Workers who are furloughed are eligible for unemployment benefits. But that will not cover what they lose in salary. Under state law, the first week without a job is a "waiting week,'' where benefits are not paid. After that, employees are entitled to half of what they were earning, up to a maximum of $240 a week, which is the equivalent of $12,480 a year.

  Even if lawmakers accept the $100 million in proposed cuts this year, the furloughs will not be enough to make up ASU's share which is expected to be $40 million. Crow said he is aware that additional cuts will be necessary.

  Crow vowed to continue working with groups within the university to find "additional prudent cost-savings measures that are consistent with our institutional mission.'' At the same time, Crow said, he will continue to push lawmakers to minimize further cuts to the university system which already was forced to slash expenses by $50 million - $20 million of that at ASU - at the beginning of the school year.