Paul Davenport, President of The University of Western Ontario, announced today that a one-year salary freeze will be put into effect for senior administration including vice-presidents, vice-provosts, deans and university librarian, and associate vice-presidents.
The total number of employees covered by the one-year freeze is 26.
The freeze is being implemented in response to the challenging financial times the university is facing due to the downturn in the global economy and impact on Western’s endowed and non-endowed funds.
This measure is also being taken in recognition that Western is entering a new period of spending restraint. Between 2001 and 2007 total operating revenues and expenses at Western have grown on average by seven per cent, a rate of growth that is not sustainable.
“We are doing all we can to reduce employee layoffs,” says Davenport.
“We have introduced an early retirement program for university staff and we have asked faculties and support units to not fill vacant positions. Senior administrators must also do their part to help the university through these difficult budgetary times, and I am pleased that they strongly support this initiative.”