Dialogue: Budget & Alignment

The OSU Faculty Senate voted today to support a Furlough Program that would reduce unclassified employees’ paid work time by a specified number of days or hours each month. OSU President Ed Ray has said final decisions on implementing the furlough program will be guided by the sense of the Senate, and senators and guests of the Senate have expressed a wide range of views on the matter. Classified employees of the university have already accepted a pay reduction as part of their collective bargaining agreement.

What do you think are the most important factors in determining whether faculty should accept reduced pay as a way of helping the university cope with deep budget cuts brought on by the economic downturn and corresponding drop in state revenues?