During these difficult economic times, the college has focused resources on academic and student services programs designed to help our students succeed. Two innovative Broward College programs, the voluntary College Employee Severance Plan (CESP) and the voluntary furlough policy offer the opportunity for helping the college address budget shortfalls. They also have the potential to make a significant, positive impact on the lives of employees who choose to apply for the benefits they offer.
The following is a brief description of these programs. At the Board of Trustees meeting on June 23, 2009, the board approved a new benefit through the College Employee Severance Plan (CESP). This innovative plan does not cut programs, reduce pay, or layoff employees. Instead, it is an opportunity for eligible employees to take advantage of a voluntary separation package. Employees who have been at the college for 15 or more years may choose to consider this plan, which will have a financial payout when they leave the college’s employment. Should faculty decide to participate in this new optional benefit, the college plans to refill all vacated faculty positions to keep up with student demand. The college will be discussing this further with United Faculty of Florida Broward Chapter President Damon Davis. Other positions will be evaluated on a case by case basis to determine if they are needed in this difficult financial time. Depending on the participation rates in this new plan, the college could save several million dollars over the next few years. These savings could be used to help us address budget shortfalls from the state, help avoid layoffs and continue to serve the a growing student population. The human resources and equity division will be sending out more information on the plan as it is rolled out for consideration by employees. The College Employee Severance Plan and furlough policies are among the cost-saving strategies being implemented by the college that rely on voluntary actions by employees. A new policy adopted by Broward College may be the answer at those times in life when a person might want to take a few weeks off from work for work/life balance, personal reasons or to pursue other interests. The Voluntary Furlough Program, as it is called, “enables an eligible employee to take a minimum of one payroll period up to a maximum of two payroll periods of leave without pay during a fiscal year with the possibility of an extension of up to four additional payroll periods,” said Dr. Edna Chun, Broward College’s vice president for human resources and equity. Employees who want to apply for a furlough need to submit an application 30 days prior to the date they wish to request. Approval is required by an employee’s immediate supervisor, the vice president or provost for the area, the vice president for human resources and equity and the president. Criteria for granting the furlough request include consideration of the needs of the department and the college as a whole. It is only available to employees in positions where a replacement would not be required or where overtime would not be necessitated by the employees’ absence. Eligibility criteria and application forms are available on the human resources and equity website. Click here. |
