The Plattsburgh State Academic Affairs division has secured its permanent salary cuts for fiscal year 2018-2019 as required by the college’s financial stability plan but still faces $650,000 to cut for the 2019-2020 fiscal year.
In an email to the PSUC faculty sent out the last week of April, Interim Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs Michael Morgan, who declined interview requests, said retirements were the main factor in achieving permanent salary cuts for 2018-2019. If the college does not achieve significant reductions through retirements for fiscal year 2019-2020, other cuts — including an increase in contract non-renewals — may likely result, his email said. Retirement savings for fiscal year 2018-2019 totaled $465,943.
Permanent salary cuts at PSUC are scheduled by the financial stability plan to continue through fiscal year 2021-2022, with total reduction targets of $1.3 million for 2019-2020, $608,000 for 2020-2021 and another $608,000 for 2021-2022.
Morgan said he is not at liberty to discuss personnel issues.
About the same time Morgan sent the email, PSUC’s Human Resources department sent an email to faculty containing information about the Voluntary Reduction of Work Schedule program, which provides faculty the option to take a reduced workload and a salary cut. The Voluntary Phased Separation Program, which is modeled after the Voluntary Reduction of Work Schedule Program, is also available, Morgan said in his email.
A number of faculty have utilized those programs for fiscal year 2018-2019 and will retire at the end of that year, he added.
Vice President of Administration and Finance, Josee Larochelle, who oversees the financial stability plan, said she is confident the college will achieve budget reductions necessary to meet the plan.
Larochelle was out of her office until Thursday and unavailable for an interview.
Email Kody Mashtare at news@cardinalpointsonline.com
