• Monday, Oct. 12, 2009 (Fall Break)
• Wednesday, Nov. 25, 2009 (preceding Thanksgiving Holidays)
• Thursday, Dec. 24, 2009 (preceding Winter Holidays)
• Monday, Jan. 4, 2010 (following New Year Holidays)
• Monday, March 22, 2010 (Spring Break)
• Flex day (employees can select in consultation with supervisor, Sept. 1, 2009 – June 30, 2010

President Dorothy Leland announced the furlough schedule during a faculty and staff forum Monday afternoon.

Leland adopted the scheduled furlough days recommended by the Strategic Resource Management Task Force appointed by the president last week to brainstorm responses to the budget situation.

“The recommended days allow some long weekends and more days linked to holiday schedules,” Leland said. “The schedule also spreads the impact on employee paychecks by providing for no more than one furlough day per month.”

Georgia College will lose 37,000 hours of productivity during the fiscal year ending June 1, 2010. The furlough days mandated by the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia affect approximately 40,000 faculty and staff members of the University System of Georgia.

“Furlough days are temporary and not long-term solutions,”” Leland said. “Right now we have staff and faculty shortages and many positions are frozen. Our challenge is to think of bold and creative ways to operate our campus and educate our students without the people we would have otherwise hired. “

The mandated furlough days cannot result in the cancellation of classes. The furlough policy requires the university to impose three of the furlough days prior to Jan 1, 2010.

Part-time employees including student workers and adjuncts compensated on a per course level basis and some full-time employees are exempt from the furlough days. Employees who make less than an annual salary of $23,660 and employees on H-IB visas will be exempted from furloughs.

Georgia College will not close during furlough days but will instead “throttle back.” The university will maintain critical operations but anticipates that many offices will be closed.

During furlough days staff and faculty members are prohibited from working.

“That means no grading papers, no filing reports,” Leland said. “Because we have to take these furlough days, use them to spend with your family and friends.”

Leland encouraged the campus community to help one another during these trying economic times.

“The loss of pay from furloughs will hurt some employees and their families more than others,” Leland said. “We need to pay attention to those in need and do what we can to help each other through these difficult times.”