Subject:

UC San Diego Implementation of Systemwide Furlough Program

In its young history, UC San Diego has emerged as one of the world's premier educational and research institutions. Our world-class faculty and dedicated staff have been and will continue to be integral to this success. Even during these turbulent economic times, we remain fully committed to our research, instructional, and public service mission and to maintaining and enhancing UC San Diego's academic excellence.

To this end, the Chancellor, Vice Chancellors, and Deans, in collaboration with the Academic Senate, have been working hard to address how implementation of the recently approved furlough program will affect our faculty and staff, and to minimize its impact on our core mission.

I write to share the most up to date information from the Office of the President, as well as information regarding how UC San Diego will implement the furlough program for academic appointees.

*Winter Holiday Closure

As you were previously notified, the campus will close for sixteen days between Saturday, December 19, 2009 and Sunday, January 3, 2010. This closure will maximize energy savings for the campus and will provide some public visibility for the consequences of the drastic budget cuts being absorbed by the University.

The closure period includes four University paid holidays (December 24, 25 and 31, and January 1). Six days (December 21, 22, 23, 28, 29 and 30) are not paid holidays and non-represented Academic appointees who are subject to the salary reduction/furlough program are required to use furlough days to cover this period.

This closure will be handled in the same manner as past campus closures; employees who must be on campus during the closure period may do so with appropriate approvals, and in these situations will not be required to use furlough time.

*Grant Funded Employees

Chancellor Fox and I, with support from campus faculty and administration, helped to convince UCOP not to include fully grant funded employees in the salary reduction plan. The plan approved by the Regents exempts employees funded exclusively from federal, state, other government or private contracts, grants or cooperative agreements (excluded funds).

We were also successful in helping to persuade UCOP to allow UC San Diego employees who are split-funded between "included" (non-grant funded) and excluded fund sources (grant funded) to participate in the salary reduction program (and also accrue furlough time) only in proportion to the percent they are paid on included funds. This will be implemented when the salary reduction plan is initiated, rather than later in the year as was originally proposed.

*Faculty Usage of Furlough Time

It is assumed that faculty will use furlough time during the campus closure period, and also for the four service days during the spring break week. If faculty must be on campus or in service during these periods, this is permitted only with appropriate approvals. Furlough days may be used in advance of accrual during the winter and spring recess periods.

Beyond the winter and spring recesses, faculty may utilize furlough time as they deem appropriate (in coordination with his or her department chair), however OP has announced that faculty may not use furlough days on instructional days (days for which a faculty member is scheduled to give lectures, lead classes or workshops, have scheduled office hours, or have other scheduled face-to-face responsibilities for students). It is important that we minimize the impact of the salary reduction and furlough program for the students as much as possible.

Faculty will be expected to maintain normal scholarly and teaching workloads throughout the furlough program period. To provide faculty with opportunities to more fully benefit from the furlough program, I have worked with the Deans to find creative avenues for faculty to utilize the furlough time without impacting their research and instructional responsibilities. These opportunities include the following:

1. Outside Professional Activity

* Faculty are permitted to use accrued furlough time to engage in outside professional activities, even in excess of APM 025 limits. Such activities may provide an opportunity for faculty to offset the loss of income outside of the University while on furlough. All other rules of APM 025, Conflict of Commitment continue to apply, including the categories of outside professional activity and reporting requirements.

2. Salary Reduction Research Exchange

* Non-represented academic employees (excluding members of the Health Sciences Compensation Plan) who are subject to the furlough program may choose to devote extra effort to research projects in exchange for forfeiting the furlough time they would otherwise be accruing.

* Appointees are still subject to the loss of income while furloughed on his or her included fund sources, but may charge an equivalent amount of effort to extramural funding, provided this is permissible with the funding agency. All charges must be compliant with Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circular A-21. Appointees are responsible for attaining agency permission.

* Participation must be approved prior to the service period of the research activity and may not result in earning salary higher than the pre-salary reduction rate.

* Appointees who elect this option will forfeit their furlough hours and therefore will be expected to be in service during any other furlough periods.

* Faculty may not reduce their teaching loads in order to participate in this exchange program.

3. Furlough Time during Extended Leave

* Faculty may report furlough days during an extended leave, in order to avoid forfeiture of sabbatical credit, as is currently required under PPM 230-10.

* Extended leaves must still be approved, and the total length of the absence, including how many days will be counted against furlough accrual must be provided in advance.

Faculty who are on sabbatical or on a leave of absence with pay during the furlough period are subject to the furlough plan, and therefore must determine an appropriate way in which to utilize the furlough time.

Furlough time will not carry forward after the designated expiration date.

At the invitation of the Deans, I will attend the fall general campus divisional meetings to provide an update on the implementation of the salary reduction program and other campus efforts to ensure the continued excellence of our University, despite current budgetary challenges. I encourage you to raise any questions you have with your department chair or staff personnel. You may also submit questions or comments to academicpersonnel@ucsd.edu

For the latest questions and answers regarding the systemwide Furlough Plan or to determine whether your position is subject to the furlough program and how many furlough days you will need to take, please see UCOP`s Furlough Fact Sheet (http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/budget/documents/furlough_facts.pdf) and Frequently Asked Questions (http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/budget/?page_id=87). Please visit UCSD's Budget Line for campus budget information and a quick link to the faculty pay-cut/furlough tables (http://blink.ucsd.edu/Blink/External/Topics/Policy/0,1162,25436,00.html) These times of financial difficulty are opportunities for re-examination and re-invention. UC Board of Regents Chair Gould has launched a Commission on the Future of UC co-chaired by himself and UC President Yudof to explore long-term options for the system. This will be informed by us all thinking creatively and strategically. I have tasked the Deans with planning for the "UC San Diego of Tomorrow" and exploring opportunities for new synergies and structures that cut across existing boundaries and enhance our University's excellence under new conditions. I am also cooperating with the Academic Senate to establish a Joint Senate-Administration Task Force on Budget Reconciliation, as another pathway for fresh ideas to emerge regarding new revenue sources as well as other areas that might be consolidated or cut to achieve fiscal efficiencies. I am counting on all of you to bring forward innovative suggestions about the future course of our University. Collectively, we can manage this challenging period without losing focus on our clear vision for academic excellence, and we can take control of our continued evolution and eminence moving forward.

Paul W. Drake Senior Vice Chancellor