Robert Morris furloughs staff, cuts budget by $3M

Robert Morris University is scrambling to make up for an estimated $10 million loss from the covid-19 shutdown.

Officials at the private university in Moon said they have furloughed staff, including unnamed coaches and members of the athletic department, reduced the budget by $3 million and frozen wages that are not subject to collective bargaining agreements. This is in an effort to deal with the impact of the pandemic that forced it to close its residential campus in March and switch to remote instruction, and cancel concerts and spring athletic events.

A university spokesman said RMU President Chris Howard and all members of the university’s cabinet will take a 5 percent reduction in salary.

They join top administrators at the University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon University who previously announced they would take salary reductions or return a portion of their salaries to the schools.

Colleges and universities across the country face similar dilemmas as they struggle to reconcile their budgets after being forced to provide refunds for housing and dining when students were forced to leave in the middle of the spring semester.

Officials at RMU said furloughed employees will continue to receive employee benefits and RMU will cover each employee’s share of health insurance and other premiums. Furloughed employees will be called back on an as-needed basis as the university gears up for the fall semester.