MU’s College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources announced it was phasing out a collaborative research program, reducing space and accepting voluntary pay cuts this week, according to a Friday update of an MU website that tracks budgetary actions.
MU also laid off seven and furloughed 515 more employees as of Wednesday, bringing the number of layoffs to 124 and furloughs to 2,644.
Faculty, staff and administrators at CAFNR will take voluntary cuts of up to 10% for three months, according to the website. Those cuts, combined with other budget actions, will result in over $3 million total.
CAFNR’s Food for the 21st Century program, which was established by the state in 1983, will be phased out, according to the website. It served as a collaboration between the University of Missouri System’s four campuses, focusing on the state’s “agricultural strength” and advancing “research and biotechnology,” according to the college’s website.
The number of employees who will be affected by the program’s phasing out was not immediately available. Information used in the Friday website update was current as of Wednesday. Because the numbers reflect only layoffs that have officially been recorded by MU’s human resources system, it is possible that additional layoffs have been made but not yet registered online. Furloughs affect staff members and vary in length.
MU has made 1,923 total voluntary and mandatory salary cuts, according to the website. Data on salary cuts, furloughs and layoffs is not broken down by college or department.
The UM System is adjusting its budgets every quarter as COVID-19 continues to create financial uncertainty. The system has lost $52 million in cuts this year, and officials are planning for a 12.5% cut for fiscal year 2021, according to the website.