EAST LANSING, MI (WSYM) — 316 Michigan State University employees have received furlough notices Wednesday.
The university said it is looking at a total of 600 furloughs over the course of the summer.
The furloughs come as a result of major budget shortfalls due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Last month, MSU President Samuel Stanley said the university anticipates $150 million to $300 million in lost revenue to the university's general fund budget and auxiliary units for the 2021 fiscal year.
The MSU Board of Trustees also approved freezing tuition, housing and dining rates for the 2020-2021 school year.
As a result of COVID-19, the university will have a shorter fall semester, with classes set to begin classes Wednesday, Sept. 2, ending all in-person instruction Wednesday, Nov. 25.
President Stanley said the university is currently planning how to safely and responsibly open campus back up for students in the fall. That planning includes making changes to the academic calendar, taking approaches to contact tracing and testing, managing residence halls, and allocating and scheduling class spaces.
