By Bill Raack, KWMU
St. Louis, MO –
Listen to President Forsee's Message:
The University of Missouri's board of curators has given the system's president the power to furlough employees if the economic downturn adversely affects the system's finances.
Gary Forsee asked for the ability to force university workers to take time off without pay. Curators would have to sign off on such action, too. Forsee says there are no plans to call for furloughs right now and they won't occur unless the legislature withholds state appropriations this year.
" A withhold is the only event and that's obviously subject to any change that could come along tomorrow but as I sit here today that is the only event that I can imagine right now that would cause us to look at that more significantly by each campus."
Forsee's furlough authority will expire on June 30.
Forsee also laid out for the board a so-called "five-point action plan" that includes examining the university's curriculum and an audit of the university's performance in a number of categories.