The University of Rochester is taking steps to cut its budget thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic.
A letter from University President Sarah Mangelsdorf says the University and UR Medicine will begin furloughing some staff members. Mangelsdorf says she and other senior leaders of the university and the medical center will take pay cuts of up to 18 percent. A hiring freeze has been slapped on all open positions, and overtime is being ordered kept to a minimum. All new capital spending is off for at least 90 days.
Mangelsdorf says the University of Rochester has suffered significant lost revenue from suspension of non-essential medical procedures, handling patients through telemedicine and shifting from classroom to distance learning.
Mangelsdorf says the university can't tap into its multi-billion dollar endowment to tide it over, because most of the money is directed to specific purposes like scholarships and professorships.