ECU announces furloughs for some administrators
As East Carolina University continues to address revenue declines because of the coronavirus pandemic, 23 senior administrative leaders will be placed on furlough for 10 days.
This decision affects Senior Academic and Administrative Officers Tier 1, who are assigned those duties either permanently or on an interim basis. The positions are the chancellor, the chief of staff, vice chancellors, deans, and directors of the two libraries at the university. Their furlough days will be taken between Dec. 3, 2020 and the end of the fiscal year, June 30, 2021. The net savings from this action will be approximately $250,000.
This does not affect all ECU employees.
“Like the previous decisions regarding furloughs, this decision was not made lightly,” said Interim Chancellor Ron Mitchelson. “Though it can’t make up for the losses experienced by some of our colleagues, I feel it’s important that our leadership take on some of the burden that we are asking of others.”
Previous furloughs announced earlier this semester affect Athletics and units that provide auxiliary services; these units rely on the sale of goods or services to fund their operations. State law does not allow ECU to use tuition or state-appropriated funds to cover any revenue shortfall in these units.
ECU Human Resources is working with affected employees and providing them with information, guidelines and FAQs related to furloughs.
Furloughs may include salary reductions or leave without pay. Employees will receive information from HR about benefits when notified; furloughed employees are still eligible to participate in the State Health Plan and they continue to accrue leave.
Related news releases:
Nov. 2 — ECU announces furloughs for some employees
Mitchelson: Furloughs announced for senior administrators
This week we are announcing an additional round of furloughs for ECU. It’s another stark reminder that COVID-19 continues to affect our campus. To address revenue declines because of the coronavirus pandemic, the university will place 23 senior administrative leaders on furlough for 10 days.
I’m included in those 23 administrators. As with the previous decisions regarding furloughs for our campus, this decision was not made lightly. These senior administrators and I will be affected like some of our university colleagues in Student Affairs, Academic Affairs, Athletics, and Administration and Finance have been. Of course, I recognize that some of our campus colleagues are facing longer furloughs, and their sacrifices do not go unnoticed.
These are difficult times at our great university, but I know that I can count on our campus to continue to push forward. Tomorrow we will celebrate commencement – virtually – for approximately 2,000 graduates. Even though this year has been nothing like they could have imagined, they have earned their ECU degree. And I’m proud of them.
-RonM
Dr. Ron Michelson
Interim Chancellor
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