KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Staff at Rockhurst University found out last week they would be required to take five days of furlough before June 30 as part of a cost-cutting measure.
Leadership at the private Jesuit school in Kansas City, Missouri, announced the decision, which is designed to help “lower a budget deficit for this fiscal year,” to staff on Jan. 30.
The furlough decision does not affect faculty, whose employment is contracted, but Rockhurst professors “will teach one additional course next academic year,” a spokesperson for the university said in an email to KSHB 41 News.
Rockhurst said “residual effects of the pandemic” and missed revenue goals created the budget deficit.
“While we focus on making improvements throughout our operations, we are simultaneously implementing measures that will allow us to reduce the gap between our revenues and our expenses,” Rockhurst University said in a statement. “This includes five unpaid workdays for staff to be taken before the end of our fiscal year, which equals a 1.9% annualized salary reduction.”
Staff are expected to spread out furlough days to help mitigate the impact to student services.
“We realize that budget-reduction measures are challenging for faculty and staff, and we are thankful for their contributions to making our University stronger,” the university said in a statement.
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