Question regarding WI executive order # 285

[Pharlo]

http://www.wisgov.state.wi.us/journal_media_detail.asp?locid=19&prid=4355

"2. Require employees of state agencies and the University of Wisconsin System (UWS), including faculty and academic staff, to take eight days or their equivalent (64 hours) of unpaid leave (furlough days) during each fiscal year of the 2009−11 fiscal biennium, for a total of sixteen furlough days (128 hours) in the 2009-11 biennium;"

Does this mean that even as tuition is going up at the UWS, hours students are being educated is being cut by 128 hours per biennium, or are they going to make it up by extending the school year to accommodate furlough days?

[Lifelong Protester]

1. I don't know about the university system, but I know that the DPI

has posted on its website the days it will be closed. Our county agent, a UWEX employee says he is just going to knock off work early a couple of days here and there to comply. He said it amounted to a 3% reduction in wage for him, and he does not intend to take off full days to comply with the furlough.

[Pharlo]

2. Thank you.

Sounds like your county agent has a better plan. The designated furlough days are also listed on the site given in the OP. I only copied the part that was relevant to the question I had asked.

[Sabien]

3. yes and no

Most faculty and staff are being told when to take half of their furlough time and they can choose when to take the other half.

It will not be implemented so that students lose 128 hours of instruction time (multiplied by however many students are in a given class).

But, whenever the furlough time is taken it means less office hours, less instruction time, less prep time, less advising, and less research time.

[sybylla]

4. My professor friend was told to take it off when classes weren't in session

She was to take furlough over the summer, between sessions. She thought it was stupid because she still had prep work to do so it wasn't like she actually had time off. It's just the equivalent of working without pay.

[residentfan]

5. Union?

Where's AFSCME in this whole scenario? Silent? I doubt that Marty Beil would allow this to pass without having some sort of say or deal.