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Clemson and other schools could face cuts in jobs and programs, according to officials
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CLEMSON UNIVERSITY — Tax shortfalls and changes in the way educational institutions are funded in South Carolina may cost Clemson and other universities jobs and programs, according to statements at a Clemson Board of Trustees committee meeting Thursday.
Dave Crockett, Clemson Staff Senate president, told Clemson trustees at a finance committee meeting Thursday that he is worried about administrators’ comments and statements regarding upcoming faculty and staff cuts.
In a conversation with administrators, Crockett said the atmosphere was characterized this way: “We are past the part of losing positions; we are talking about firing people.”
Crockett said some discussions had taken place about 25 percent cuts in salaries, nine-month contracts for educators and voluntary pay reductions.
“If all these factors are true, I would hope you as a board would urge the administration to talk with staff before the decisions are made to fire people,” Crockett said.
Clemson, like many public education institutions, is facing a severe funding shortfall because state revenue has been declining this year. Clemson Chief Financial Officer Brett Dalton said the state is looking at a $500 million revenue shortfall, and that Clemson already this year has operated with $9.1 million in cuts, with more on the way. A secondary issue is the fact that changes made by the South Carolina General Assembly have resulted in fewer dollars, too, Dalton said.
Some suggestions already made have been to cut in half faculty and staff hiring, eliminate temporary positions and slow down on projects.
Coming out of an executive session Thursday evening regarding the Clemson budget, Clemson President James Barker said the General Assembly would determine what happens. It is meeting soon to discuss the state budget shortfall.
“All those options are on the table,” Barker said when asked about Crockett’s statements.
Dalton said 2008 state appropriations per Clemson student are at 1981 levels when adjusted for inflation.
“We know additional cuts are imminent,” Dalton said.
Trustee Bill Amick said any reduction in funding or staff “is not something I look forward to,” and asked for help from others at Clemson.
“We don’t believe the board or administration has more wisdom (than others) in knowing how to travel through territory we have not traveled before,” Amick said, and asked suggestions on dealing with the shortfall from others, including students.
Crockett said that in a conversation he had with Barker, Barker said the shortfall in revenue may be the most difficult situation the university has faced in 50 years.
“It’s serious,” Barker said after the finance committee meeting. “I’m about to start my 10th year as president, and I can’t recall and international financial environment or state funding environment any more challenging than this one.”
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As an employee of CU, I am genuinely scared of what may be coming. And my understanding of a 4-day work week was not that we could be paid only 80%, but that we would work 40 hours in 4 days, and money would be saved on energy and some staffing on the 5th day. And to be quite honest, there are a LOT of jobs that are already 40-hour/5-day jobs that actually take a lot more time than that, so the 4 day option would not really solve anything for these folks. I frequently work evenings, weekends, answer email and write reports from home, etc. Higher ed is not a factory.
If cuts come, they be from the top down.... get rid of some of the overpaid administrators... they won't be missed.
If you look at what some of these top administrators make you'll see where all of the money is going! As a little nobody Admin. Assistant I am only making a little under $25,000 a year! I don't think letting a little person like me go is going to make that big of a dent. Now, look at some of these people making $80,000, $90,000, $150,000 and that might make a dent. In three months some of these people make what I make in one year.
And you want to talk about inflation?? How do you think it affects us, President Barker? Gas prices are going higher, food prices are going higher, energy to run lights and heat in our homes is increasing! We're all feeling the pinch but we're barely making it with both in our household making less than $25,000 each.
I would whole heartedly welcome a 4 day workweek! It'd be one less day I'd have to be on the road wasting gas and I honestly believe the University would save money if they closed the entire campus down for 3 full days every week. Other colleges and Universities are already making it work and they have the figures to substantiate the fact that they are saving $90,000 to $150,00 (one report was a savings of $268,000 by the Brevard Community College in Florida). I am, however, NOT for making 20%-25% less in my paycheck! We're barely making it now.
The cuts should definitely come from the top down. The lowest paid admin position at Clemson is roughly $12-13 an hour, 12% of which is automatically taken out for FICA and mandatory contribution to the state retirement program. Then, to make matters worse, the lowest insurance plan available to an employee which covers basic service like a yearly pap smear, costs the employee $129 a month (another 10% of pay which only covers the employee, no family members). This amount will go up by $20 a month in January. So, that's a total of 22% without any taxes taken off. Someone who makes $24,000 a year actually only nets $17,400 or so a year, with only these basic deductions. That is hardly a living wage. Someone who is making $50K + a year can forgo a couple of thousand dollars in salary far better than someone at the bottom. Consider a department with 20 faculty members asks each faculty member to reduce their salary by $2000 each, you can virtually fund at least one staff member, including fringe. There has to be a better solution than laying off staff and faculty.
Come January Hussien's going to "fix" all this.....you're going to have even less.
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