University of Idaho President C. Scott Green announced facilities management will not be outsourced over email Friday.
UI was expected to move forward with formal requests for outsourcing options in early November. Green said months of work on the possibility of outsourcing delayed by the coronavirus pandemic have since been completed.
“The work of the Facilities team is invaluable to our university,” Green said in the email. “Our Moscow campus is a special place, physically and emotionally, and a key to recruitment success. This team is vital to that experience.”
Green said comments about the potential of outsourcing was split. Most staff leadership supported outsourcing, but faculty did not. He said staff shared concerns of financial difficulties and fears that avoiding outsourcing could lead to more layoffs while most faculty thought savings should come from something other than outsourcing.
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Instead of outsourcing, Green said UI will plan to deal with lost revenue from the state with minimal impact to staff. He said income-based changes, which would target the highest-paid employees, like faculty and administration officials, will deflect the decreased income from most staff members.
While Green said in the email pay cuts could come from UI’s administration, Director of Communications Jodi Walker clarified it has not been decided.
Green acknowledged the emotional toll of this decision and thanked Vice President for Finance and Administration Brian Foisy, the review committee and the survey groups.
For an overview of the UI budget deficit, read our guide.
Lex Miller can be reached at [email protected]