Lots of interesting details, but here's the overview of how institutions responded to COVID:
- Nearly 60 percent implemented salary freezes or reductions.
- About 30 percent eliminated or reduced some form of fringe benefits.
- Over 5 percent did not reappoint or terminated contracts for at least some tenure-line faculty.
- Over 20 percent did not renew contracts or terminated contracts for at least some non-tenure-track faculty.
- Almost 10 percent implemented furloughs for at least some faculty.
- Over 50 percent took some other action for tenure-line faculty. The most common action described was some type of early retirement program.
- Almost 30 percent took some other action for non-tenure-line faculty.
- Almost 50 percent implemented tenure-clock modifications for at least some tenure-track faculty.
In at least one striking case of cutting fringe benefits, namely Johns Hopkins, it turned out there was no financial reason to do so! Johns Hopkins has now restored, retroactively, retirement contributions. Do readers know of any similar cases where a university has reversed course on COVID-related cuts?
