KNOXVILLE — Budget concerns have prompted University of Tennessee President J. Wade Gilley to impose a hiring freeze on non-academic jobs.
The hiring freeze was announced Thursday at the UT Board of Trustees’ finance committee meeting. UT chancellors and vice presidents were notified of the move earlier this week.
Gilley said the freeze does not apply to faculty, computing, library and student positions, and those paid by auxiliary operations, such as the university bookstore and residence halls.
“Given the uncertainty of financial resources to support the university during fiscal year 2000-01, sound fiscal management dictates that additional efforts be made to control expenses,” Gilley said.
His letter points out that salaries and benefits account for 75 percent of UT’s budget.
Chancellors and vice presidents are instructed to review each non-academic vacancy carefully and transfer or reassign duties to current staff members. If that cannot be done, an appeal may be made to the Office of the Executive Vice President for Business and Finance.
Gilley also urges a review of vacancies in auxiliary operations and in those areas excluded from the freeze.
The freeze is effective immediately, but jobs for which offers have been made may be filled, he said.