Marshall University’s President Jerome Gilbert announced the school will impose pay cuts to 650 employees due to the coronavirus pandemic’s impact on enrollment numbers this year.
This comes after a pay cut to 140 employees in July.
Gilbert said in a public letter that numbers are better than expected, but the school’s fall enrollment is down by 4.6 percent, or 541 students. He explained the school is seeing fewer out-of-state and international students this year, and this has resulted in an overall revenue hit of $3.6 million.
“These temporary salary reductions will affect employees whose annual salaries are in the range of $50,000 to $100,000,” Gilbert said. “The reductions range from 0.07 percent to 5.6 percent and are on a sliding scale, so employees who make more will have higher percentage reductions.”
The July pay cuts affected employees who were making $100,000 or more annually.
Employees making under $50,000 a year are unaffected by either cut.
“I sincerely regret that we have to take this step,” Gilbert said. “We had all hoped this second phase of salary cuts would not be necessary. It is still our intent for these temporary salary reductions to last no longer than one year.”
Pay reductions will go into effect with the pay period that begins Sept. 12 and will be reflected on paychecks beginning Oct. 9.