After recent budget cuts, the Tennessee Board of Regents approved a forced furlough policy for faculty and staff last month. But a forced furlough at The University of Memphis isn't likely, said President Shirley Raines.
TBR approved the change in furlough policy in a unanimous vote on Jan. 14. University and college presidents can now require a furlough for faculty and staff after approval from TBR.
The University of Memphis is one of 19 schools affected by the change in policy.
TBR spokeswoman Mary Morgan said a furlough is "required time off work without pay."
The school decides the length of the furlough, Morgan said.
"It wouldn't be less than a day," Morgan said. "Realistically, it could range from a day up until possibly a week. Some people have talked about one day a month. We are looking at a relatively short time period."
At their December meeting, TBR tabled the furlough policy changes at the request of Raines, said Jeffrey Berman, president-elect of the Faculty Senate and one of the faculty representatives to TBR.
"(Raines) understood the fact there was no input from the faculty and employees," Berman said. "She has suggested that she would only use a furlough as a last resort. She gave that sort of impression when she met with each college in mid-December."
Ed Perry, president of the Faculty Senate, said he, like some other faculty members, is glad Raines is not looking to a furlough as a budget solution right now.
"I think we all greatly appreciate that," Perry said. "I don't think anybody wants to do it. I think this is something all presidents would like to avoid. I don't think anyone is looking at it too closely yet."
Given the recent policy change, faculty members like Perry are unsure of what a furlough fully entails.
"There hasn't been a full definition yet," Perry said. "I'll be honest - I don't know. It's basically a leave without pay. I don't think there has been a final decision on how it would play out."
Perry said most faculty members would rather go on furloughs than have anyone let go.
"Maybe we all have to suffer to keep from having to lay people off," Perry said.
The furlough is only a short-term solution to the larger budget problem, Morgan said, and presidents would not be allowed to use the furlough as a way to target employees.
"It has to be done on a fair basis," she said. "Those plans have to come up here (for approval)."
Morgan said TBR has not yet received any furlough requests, although Roane State Community College is considering one.
Most colleges will not want to implement the furlough, but they should have the choice, she said.
"If it will save some jobs, then the campuses ought to have that option," Morgan said.
To place a faculty or staff member on furlough, the school president must submit a request to TBR two weeks in advance. TBR will then review the request and make a decision.
"It is going to save a significant amount of money," Morgan said. "Even if for a day you don't pay everyone, it will save you some money. It won't solve the long-term problem, but it can do some temporary good."
Benefits won't be affected, she said.
Berman said he was mainly concerned about the details of the new furlough policy.
"It says an employee doesn't report to work for x number of days and doesn't get paid for it," he said. "When it comes to faculty who are working during the summer and over breaks, it can be an odd concept. They aren't going to get less work - they'll get paid less."
For TBR Student Regent Gionni Carr, his initial concern was the president's ability to send people on furloughs whenever The University "came up short."
But if implemented, the president wouldn't necessarily have the only say, he said. The president would have the power to create a subcommittee to advise him or her on furlough decisions.
"It would be a planned process," Carr said. But the final decision will still come from the president.
Until the budget problem is solved, everyone is going to come up short, Carr said.
"Unfortunately, students have to bear the brunt of these decisions," he said.
