Last week, UVA President John Casteen informed faculty and staff that the University decided against a mandated one-day furlough. In late 2009, then-Governor Tim Kaine called for a statewide furlough for all state employees as a measure to alleviate the estimated budget shortfall.
NBC29 reports that Casteen told UVA staff and faculty in an e-mail that, although the eight-hour unpaid leave was included in the budget set forth by the General Assembly, UVA has decided to "buy the day back for our employees."
"The University, along with many of the state’s public colleges and universities, has decided to do just that—at a cost of $1.328 million for the academic division and $950,000 for the Medical Center," reads Casteen’s letter. "The bottom line is that University of Virginia employees will not lose a day’s pay and there will be no change to the University’s schedule."
The Medical Center will foot the nearly $1 million bill required to remain open, while the academic side of UVA will use funds from its emergency reserve.
