OU salary freeze to enhance quality, promote affordability, save jobs

Tackling the same, dire economic challenges the state of Michigan faces as a whole, Oakland University is making difficult budget decisions that will help keep a high-quality college education affordable.

Effective July 1, the university will institute a salary freeze for executives, administrators and other staff. This represents just the first step in a series of measures the university will likely have to take in order to maintain the integrity of academic programs and protect as many jobs as possible. Other cost-saving measures being considered include seeking lower-cost health care benefit packages.

“We at Oakland University have taken pride in preserving and enhancing the quality of our educational programs while using lean and efficient cost management practices to keep tuition as affordable as possible,” said President Gary Russi.

“After years of funding cuts and rising costs, the ongoing sacrifices we’ll have to make to maintain this approach will become increasingly painful. We will continue making necessary sacrifices, however. Whatever the challenges, we remain committed to our core mission of keeping a distinctive educational experience accessible to as many students as possible.”

Additional cost-saving and revenue-generating measures are expected to be identified and implemented in the coming months. Administrators will emphasize those that not only address 2009-10 budget issues, but help mitigate even more daunting financial challenges anticipated with the 2010-11 budget.