According to an e-mail that went out yesterday from UA Staff Advisory Council President Eddie Gomez, UA President Robert Shelton and Provost Meredith Hay are expected to send a memo to the UA community today detailing plans for staff furloughs.

The memo will include details about a Web site explaining the plan. Another memo is expected to go out shortly afterward with further details on "what will occur with the money saved through this plan."

The e-mail appears to say that the UA needs to cut salary costs by 2.75 percent, or about $5.3 million for FY 2010-2011. Fifty percent of these cuts will be covered through natural attrition and vacancies. The other 50 percent will be covered through furloughs taken by employees who make more than $40,000 per year.

From the e-mail:

Last year, SAC's Committee on Furloughs sent a letter to President Shelton, which provided recommendations and suggestions on how to implement

a furlough program should one be needed. In that letter, we recommended that any furlough program have a threshold of $40,000. Meaning, anyone making $40,000 or less, would not be subject to the program. The purpose was to protect those in the University system who make considerably less than what was identified as the average employee salary of $50,000. We also suggested that any employee required to take furlough be afforded as much flexibility as possible. After considering our recommendations, those of his Cabinet and budget advisors, I am happy to announce that the program will be implemented as follows:

Employees making $40,000 and under will not take furlough.
Employees making $40,001 to $60,000 will take 1 day.
Employees making $60,001 to $90,000 will take 2 days.
Employees making $90,001 and above will take 3 days.

As you can see, this program will also minimize the impact to those who will be required to take furlough. In addition, flexibility will be granted to the employee in regards to the utilization of those furlough days.

Employees will be able to take time in as little as one hour blocks. This program is temporary, and will be implemented for FY 2010-2011 only. Furthermore, all money saved by colleges/departments through this program will stay with the college/department. It will not be swept, or centralized in any way. Last, and most importantly, as the result of the UA Administration's foresight and leadership, the imposed salary reduction will not result in further layoffs.

The e-mail goes on to say: It is important to preface this good news by stating that this plan will have to be revisited, and others implemented, should Proposition 100 fail.