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WVU says staff furloughs are necessary because of coronavirus-related budget hit

West Virginia University is announcing today staff furloughs regarded as temporary, confirming an option that university officials said they might need to take.

An official announcement should be very early this afternoon. Conference calls with employees were set for this morning.

The furloughs were for almost 900 staff. Faculty are typically on longer-term contracts.

Rob Alsop

Rob Alsop, vice president for strategic initiatives at WVU, sent a letter late Thursday explaining the decision to staff.

“On behalf of the WVU leadership team, I can assure you we did not take the decision to move forward with a temporary furlough program lightly. We truly believe our people are what sets our University apart, which is why this decision was so difficult,” Also wrote.

To protect the health and well-being of students, faculty and staff, WVU suspended in-person classes and transitioned most employees to alternative work arrangements in mid-March.

The restrictions to the university’s on-campus operations have resulted in the loss of several revenue streams at WVU, officials said.

WVU expects to save about $4 million through the temporary furlough program.

WVU officials acknowledged late last month that furloughs might have to be considered because of a possible $30 million loss related to the coronavirus pandemic.

“Throughout the past several weeks, the university has implemented several measures to prioritize funding to satisfy our financial obligations while also considering the ongoing needs of our students, faculty and staff,” Alsop stated in a news release today.

“However, after a careful financial review, we made the difficult decision to move forward with a temporary furlough program.”

The letter from Alsop describes the workforce reduction as temporary, “with an expectation of returning to work.”

Furloughs begin May 24, which is a Sunday, and with dates for returning to work set for either June 28 or July 26, depending the situation.

Alsop wrote that WVU will provide assistance to staff applying for unemployment benefits and continuing their WVU benefits.

The temporary furloughs follow WVU’s recent announcement that President Gordon Gee and other senior administrators will reduce their salaries or make a comparable charitable contribution to the University in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.



Letter to WVU staff (Text)





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