University of Missouri President Gary Forsee wants system curators to give him the power to furlough employees during the prolonged economic downturn. A furlough means employees would not get paid for a certain amount of time but wouldn’t lose their jobs outright. The board will consider Forsee’s request when it meets Thursday and Friday in Columbia. University documents suggest the move is needed to reduce the “possibility and/or the magnitude” of layoffs or firings. Forsee also wants curators to broaden programs for transition assistance in case of eventual layoffs to include administrative, service and support employees.
