TO: Vice Presidents, Deans, Directors, & Department Chairs
FR: Shirley C. Willihnganz
Executive Vice President/University Provost
RE: Hiring Freeze Guidelines
In his Budget of the Commonwealth address last night, Governor Beshear warned that Kentucky is facing a severe budget crisis for the upcoming biennium. Because of this, his budget proposal includes a 6.4% reduction in State funding to the University of Louisville. In order to prepare the University to manage potential budget cuts with the least adverse impact on mission-critical needs, all vacant positions are frozen, effective January 10, 2012. Exceptions may be granted by formal approval of an executive vice president.
The following guidelines will be used during this freeze:

The hiring freeze will apply to all University of Louisville faculty and staff positions regardless of funding source or affiliated corporation (Foundation, Research Foundation, and Athletic Association, etc.)

  • The Office of Budget and Financial Planning will identify vacant positions and will electronically change the position status to “frozen” within the Position Management System. These positions will remain in a “frozen” status through the remainder of the current fiscal year, or until a Request for Authorization to Hire is approved.
  • Offers of employment made before January 10, 2012 will be honored and no further approval is required.
  • Positions currently being advertised are subject to the same exception approval process before being filled. Approvals for an exemption must be received by Human Resources or Faculty Personnel before posting and extending offers of employment.
  • Positions that retain a regular pool of candidates (such as custodians, police officers, etc.) will continue to be advertised but will require the same exception approval process before being filled.
  • Temporary workers, student workers, graduate assistants and work-study positions are exempt from the hiring freeze.
  • In-range pay adjustments, promotions, position reclassifications, x-pays, supplemental pays and other internal personnel actions are exempt from the hiring freeze.

Authorization to Hire

A Request for Authorization to Hire has been posted to HR Items of Interest at http://louisville.edu/hr/itemsofinterest. Positions that are determined to be mission-critical or which must be staffed to remain in compliance with external regulatory requirements may be filled upon approval of the Executive Vice President/University Provost, the Executive Vice President for Health Affairs, or the Executive Vice President for Research & Innovation.

Instructions for completing the Request for Authorization to Hire are included on the form. Department heads and directors should be aware that forms must be approved by the respective dean or vice president before being submitted to one of the executive vice presidents for review. Submission will be through campus email (with the form as an attachment) to help expedite review processes. Approval and disapproval notifications will be by return email. A Request for Authorization to Hire must be approved before submitting a new on-line recruitment requisition through PeopleSoft HR System or proceeding with an open search.

Budget Transfers from Vacant Positions Suspended

The intent of the hiring freeze is to prepare the University for potential funding reductions in the 2012-13 fiscal year. Therefore, all budget transfers from vacant positions are suspended during the freeze.