Salary cuts made during the COVID-19 pandemic are being restored to faculty and staff at Western Kentucky University.
During Friday's Board of Regents meeting, WKU President Timothy Caboni thanked the campus community for making shared sacrifices. He announced all salary reductions will end this month and employees will receive reimbursement for the amount withheld since July 1.
The cuts were made as the school prepared for an uncertain fall semester due to the pandemic. However, enrollment this fall exceeded projections and Caboni said the university expects no additional cuts to state funding through the end of the fiscal year.
“We have a legislative session to navigate at the beginning of January and we’ll focus on making sure we fend off any reductions, but hopefully there’s some additional funds for higher education in the ‘21-‘22 budget," stated Caboni.
The salary cuts applied to faculty and staff earning more than $50,000 annually. The university will continue to curtail hiring and spending in order to meet budget targets through the end of the fiscal year.
