Clarification on Temporary Salary Reduction Questions

Barbara A. Bichelmeyer Provost & Executive Vice Chancellor
Thursday, July 30, 2020, 10:01 a.m.
KU Lawrence Faculty and Staff

Dear Colleagues,

Over the course of the past several months, we communicated a number of actions we are taking to address financial challenges as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Two announcements were related to salary cuts:

  • On April 27, we announced a plan to for university leaders to take a 10% salary cut, effective April 19.
  • On June 19, we shared with you a need for a temporary tiered salary cut for all Lawrence and Edwards Campus faculty and staff who earn more than $50,000 annually (excluding student employees – GTA, GRA, GA and student hourlies – and employees on H-1B visas). We announced it will go into effect August 23 and run for 13 pay periods.

We received feedback from a number of constituents with expressions of both understanding and concern regarding the salary cuts. As a result of conversations with faculty and administrative leaders, we want to make you aware of the following adjustments to the processes for calculating reductions:

  • For faculty who are on nine-month contracts, the reduction will go into effect August 23 and run for nine pay periods, rather than 13 pay periods. This measure adjusts for an unintended inequity that, when drawing over 13 pay periods, created a 33% greater cut for nine-month positions than 12-month positions.
  • For part-time positions, the percentage used for the temporary salary reduction will be based on the total annual salary for the part-time position, rather than projecting their salary to a full-time equivalent and then applying the percentage previously announced.

Thank you to the faculty and staff who worked with us to develop these plans initially and to help adjust them accordingly today. As we have said all along, our decisions will continue to prioritize equity and our commitment to protecting KU’s most vulnerable populations.

Respectfully,

Barbara and Diane

Barbara A. Bichelmeyer
Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor

Diane Goddard
Chief Financial Officer and
Vice Provost for Financial Administration