A colleague in the University of Wisconsin system calls to my attention the now official "furlough" policy for faculty. His summary and comments:
All UW faculty will be furloughed over the next 2 years, taking 6 days/year for faculty 9-month appointments, effectively a 5% cut (3% + rescinded 2% raise). Since furloughs cannot interfere with instruction, and research-minded folks like me cannot seem to find their curiosity time-clock, it’s just a pay-cut without permanently reducing base salary—which will return to Fall, 2008 levels in the Fall of 2011. We have obtained the right to unionize, however.
