What are You Doing on Furlough?

Fall semester, while offering an exciting array of cultural events on campus, will be remembered most as the first semester of furloughs. Here is how some faculty and staff are spending the two days of unpaid leave this month.

Susan Fishman-Armstrong

My husband has one furlough day every two weeks. We are going to try to coordinate our days and eat lunch with our ‘little’ A.J. Palmer at his school. We have never been to his school before and always promised to try someday. We met A.J. through Big Brothers / Big Sisters of Atlanta and will see what we can do with him.

Susan Fishman-Armstrong
Waring Laboratory Coordinator

I, for one, will be spending my furlough days trying to figure out how to meet all my monthly expenses on a reduced salary while at the same time doing the same amount of work that I would do otherwise: grading papers, preparing lesson plans, planning and administering a study abroad program, managing a large academic department, writing a conference paper, preparing to edit a journal issue, preparing material on assessment for SACS review, writing an interim program review, serving as an officer in a statewide organization, writing letters of recommendation for students applying for scholarships, and much, much more.

Dr. Gary Schmidt
Associate Professor of German and Interim Chair

I am afraid there is nothing exciting planned for the two furlough days. I have one “doctor day” planned where my son and I will, with a good book in both our hands, make the check-up rounds. After that, a nice meal before we head home for a long, relaxing weekend in Carrollton.

Ineke Abunawass
Occupational Health Coordinator

I am fortunate in a way to have the furlough days off. As Camping Chair of the Sweetwater District of the Boy Scouts of America I will be able to use the two days off to set up for our Fall Camporee at the boundary waters aquatics park in Douglas County. We usually set up on Friday night in the dark. Now I will be able to set up our three teepees and take more time to set up the camping areas and program areas, which will enable us to provide a better program for the scouts in our district.

James Hembree
Grounds Superintendent,
Facilities and Grounds

Dan Lewis

Funny you should ask. For the ten months, I have been part of an electronic committee of high school classmates from all over the country that was developed for the purpose of planning a reunion – and the reunion happens to fall on that same weekend! I’ll be flying to Connecticut to take in some fall New England scenery, visit with family and friends, and reminisce on what are now considered “old stories.” And with a class size of 643 members, that’s a lot of stories!
Like most employees, I would have preferred to have taken those two days off as vacation leave days, but the furlough is better than the alternative. While I have always appreciated having a job, the number of depressing emails that I have received over the past ten months has certainly reinforced that appreciation. Hopefully, the total number of furlough days between now and the end of the year will remain at 6 and not expand to 10.

Dan Lewis
Coordinator of finance and business development

Having to take two furlough days this month will put a big dent in my household budget. While it can be enticing to go on a three-day weekend or turn to shopping trips to get away from the harsh realities of the current economic crisis, it's just not feasible. It may cause my family to go into foreclosure, so I will stay home caring for my children during the fall break.

Danielle L. Plummer
Staff Assistant
Educational Leadership and Professional Studies

Julie Dobbs

My family and I will be spending our furlough days in St. Simon Island visiting with friends. Hopefully it will be sunny and warm.

Julie Dobbs
Administrative Coordinator
UWG-Ingram Library

Karen and I will be leading a Youth Mission trip to Waveland, Mississippi. We will be helping the victims of Katrina by participating in cleanup and rebuilding efforts. There is still a lot of damage and destruction there as Waveland was where the eye of the storm hit, and the storm surge was at its peak at about 30 feet high. The Youth Mission are the junior class from Carrollton First United Methodist Church. We will be assisted by UWG Juniors Ryan Shostack and Casey Tate. Ryan is the Youth Ministry Intern for the CFUMC Youth Group, Solid Rock Ministries.

Scot Lingrell
Associate Vice President for Enrollment Management

Thank you to everyone who responded to the Campus Chronicle request.

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