Three University of Wisconsin System universities, including UW-Madison, will have one of their state-mandated furlough days this Friday, Nov. 27.

Along with Madison, UW-Green Bay and UW-Whitewater have a scheduled furlough for the majority of their faculty and staff. Employees are traditionally not required to come to work the day after Thanksgiving, but officials said they do usually receive pay.

The furloughs, which are new for the two-year budget cycle of 2009-11, dictate all state employees must take eight furlough days a year, totaling 16 furlough days for the two-year budget cycle.

Each year, four of these days can be chosen at the employees’ discretion and the other four are chosen by the university, UW-Madison spokesperson John Lucas said.

Chris Sampson, UW-Green Bay spokesperson, said the UW-Green Bay chancellor held open forums in the summer to discuss the furlough with faculty and staff. There was much discussion over how the days were to be implemented and how the faculty felt about the furloughs.

“I would say people are disappointed,” Sampson said. “People would much rather be working. They enjoy their work in higher education.”

The state and federal laws regarding furloughs stipulate faculty cannot respond to work-related voicemail and e-mail during the furlough.

Sampson said the systemwide eight mandatory furlough days in the 2009-10 school year will result in a 3 percent pay decrease for staff and faculty.

Sara Kuhl, UW-Whitewater spokesperson, said no faculty member is exempted from the furlough and the campus library will be closed. There will be some security personnel on campus, but no janitorial staff.

“Certainly people had a certain amount of work that has to be done,” Kuhl said. “Most employees are committed to their jobs. We were told to not respond to voicemail or e-mail.”

Hephzibah Kumpaty, faculty senate chair at UW-Whitewater, said she thought it was appropriate the furlough fall during Thanksgiving break.

“I think we are fine here. I have not heard much complaining,” Kumpaty said.

No university in the UW System is exempt from furloughs, though the mandatory furlough dates are being picked carefully to avoid interfering with exams and class, according to Dennis Chaptman, UW-Madison spokesperson.

UW-Whitewater already took one of its furlough days in August, and Friday, Nov. 27 will be its second day. It will be the first for UW-Madison.

“Note that various positions critical to the operation of the university will not be furloughed on Friday, although most employees will,” Chaptman said.

According to Lucas, during furlough days systemwide, there will be a mandatory closure for all non-essential services provided by UW-Madison, including campus tours and financial aid.

In a release by Marc Kennedy, spokesperson for the Wisconsin Union, Memorial Union will be closed starting at 6 p.m. Wednesday and will reopen Sunday at 9 a.m.

UW-Madison’s other furlough dates are set to be Dec. 30, April 2 and May 21.