K-State President Addresses Possible State Employee Furloughs

K-State University President Kirk Schulz has released the following statement in regards to the possible furloughs of state employees if the State Legislature does not pass a budget.

“Today many of you will receive notification that you will be officially furloughed beginning Sunday if the state Legislature does not pass a budget.

The current emergency furlough has created a unique situation for our university family. Next week we have hundreds of activities that involve people who count on us, including orientation and enrollment, summer classes, conferences, camps and ongoing research projects. The disruption caused by this furlough can have many unintended consequences for our valued employees and those we serve.

We have the utmost respect for all our employees and value your contributions. Some employees will be able to continue working to maintain crucial functions for next week’s activities. Please do not interpret this immediate need for some employees to remain as any measure of value for those who may be furloughed.

If a budget is passed prior to Sunday, we will make every effort to get the information to you. Aspecial website has been established to provide the current information or you can call 785-532-1565 to hear a recorded message with the latest news. We also will use K-State Todayand social media to make folks aware of any announcements. You can access the special website from the K-State home page also.

Thank you for your patience and all you do for our university.”

K-State Communications and Marketing also provided the following release in regards to the furloughs.

“As of 7 a.m. Friday, June 5, the Kansas Legislature still has not approved a budget for the next fiscal year, which means furloughs of state employees remain a possibility.

All Kansas State University employees, including student workers, will be notified by noon today if they may be furloughed. If the Legislature passes a budget between the time employees are notified and 11:59 p.m. Saturday, June 6, furloughs will not happen and employees should report to work as normal.

Several channels have been set up to keep employees informed of the status of the furloughs, which may change at any moment:

The Division of Communications and Marketing also has a furlough FAQ website and isaccepting additional questions.

All faculty and staff who supervise student workers need to inform students if the furlough takes place.”