University of Maryland News

Dear University of Maryland Community:

December 19, 2008

Dear University of Maryland Family:

Through an Executive Order this week, Governor Martin O'Malley has created a furlough plan for non-university State employees. I am writing to inform you that the furlough plan for the University of Maryland, College Park has been approved by the Board of Regents of the University System of Maryland.

We all agree that furloughs are painful and that they are especially difficult for some members of our university community. Still, we face the necessity of reducing the current year salary budget by $6.86 million through salary reductions. The guiding principle for the design of our furlough plan was equity and fairness for campus employees, while satisfying operational mandates covering our educational mission. What is equitable and fair is in the eye of the beholder. However, consultations and inputs from across our community have helped us come to a general conclusion of what is fair and equitable treatment. That is the foundation of the plan. The Senate Executive Committee has reviewed and commented on the plan and supports both its concept and specificity. We have consulted with our campus unions on its implications to our employees. The AFSCME demonstrated an extraordinary spirit of understanding in support of the plan, as has the Fraternal Order of Police.

Dale Anderson, Director of University Human Resources, will be sending you an email in short order addressing important details in the plan and also instructions on its implementation, including the options for taking furlough days and the responsibilities of employees and supervisors.

I can mention that under the plan, employees earning less than $29,999 annually, Graduate Assistants and Graduate Fellows paid through financial aid, Contingent-I and student employees, employees paid to teach by the course, and employees on H-1B visa status will be assigned zero (0) furlough days. All other employees, independent of salary source and percent of employment, must take a number of furlough days based on annual compensation. Employees earning between $30,000 and $49,999 will take one (1) furlough day. Employees earning between $50,000 and $64,999 will take two (2) furlough days. Employees earning between $65,000 and $79,999 will take three (3) furlough days. Employees earning between $80,000 and $89,999 will take four (4) furlough days. And employees earning $90,000 or more will take five (5) furlough days. I will take six (6) furlough days.

Regrettably, the State's financial emergency continues and we expect our budget reductions to continue even after our furlough reversion plan above. Additional reductions to our current budget may occur within the coming week or so. We will respond to them. And soon we will begin the budget preparation for the next fiscal year (July 1, 2009 to June 30, 2010) for its presentation in Annapolis in January. We expect a base budget reduction for this FY10 budget that will also call for reducing expenditures.

To admit the obvious, these are challenging times for our campus, the State of Maryland, and indeed the entire nation. But an important quality of our campus, one that has always inspired me, has been the way it comes together as a community to take on challenges of all kinds. Whether it is Maryland Day and living-learning programs, or a tornado strike and a 9/11 response, the community spirit at Maryland is remarkably strong. This is another one of those coming-together periods. I have no doubt that we are going to navigate our way through these budget cuts and continue undaunted to build a great university. Working together now will only strengthen the bonds between us and distinguish us as an institution.

I am enormously grateful for your commitment to the mission of the University and to its community. That spirit is our underlying strength that has carried us through so many difficult times in the past and will continue to do so going forward.

Yours sincerely,

C. D. Mote, Jr.
President