UI warns employees of possible staffing changes

By CBJ News Staff
news@corridorbusiness.com

After saying it would protect students, faculty and staff from impacts of COVID-19 through the end of the semester, the University of Iowa issued a “pay practices update” Monday to employees, warning of potential staffing changes ahead.

In a university-wide email obtained by the CBJ, UI officials say that “with the semester ending and the university facing $70 million in losses due to the pandemic,” regular pay practices will resume May 18, with each college and unit “working to understand potential changes in enrollment and making decisions about future staffing needs based on projections.”

For faculty, contract extensions and new hires will follow regular processes based on the academic and research needs of the employing college. Staffers engaged in work no longer considered “meaningful” due to the pandemic will be asked to register for a temporary redeployment pool and accept redeployment when offered, use paid vacation leave or comp time, or request unpaid leave.

UI Health Care will issue more specific guidelines for its employees, according to the letter.

The UI also announced that it would waive its Recreation, Arts & Cultural Events, Student Activities, Building and Student Union fees for those students studying virtually over the summer. It noted that other fees will remain in place “to maintain campus operations and support services for students as they complete their summer coursework and stay on their educational path toward degree completion and graduation.”

The news comes as shuttered colleges and universities begin assessing their pandemic-related losses. The University of Michigan is predicting losses of up to $1 billion across its three campuses by the end of the year, NBC News reports. Closer to home, Iowa State has estimated about $88 million in refunds and lost revenue, the CBJ reported last week. CBJ