KENT, Ohio — Editor's note: the video in the player above is from a story published on Jan. 13, 2021.
Kent State University President Dr. Todd Diacon has announced the school is restoring the pay of its faculty and staff after making cuts at the beginning of the pandemic.
The announcement came in a letter Wednesday, stating that beginning Feb. 12, wages would be restored to what they were on June 30, 2020.
"When the pandemic forced us to revise our budget in June, you did your part by accepting a reduced salary – a sacrifice that helped Kent State balance the budget and remain fiscally strong," Diacon wrote.
Kent State is citing its "conservative approach to budgeting for Fiscal Year 2021, including the stringent control of expenses, better than expected spring 2021 enrollment and vital COVID-19 federal relief funding" as its reasons for making the restorative-decision.
"When the pandemic forced us to revise our budget in June, you did your part by accepting a reduced salary – a sacrifice that helped Kent State balance the budget and remain fiscally strong," the letter continued.
The school will also be retroactively restoring all wages affected by the reduction, beginning from July 1, 2020.
"I appreciate the sacrifices each of you has made during these challenging times," Diacon said. "Thank you for your hard work and unwavering commitment to helping our students and their families as they endure the ongoing pandemic. Your spirit epitomizes our Flashes Take Care of Flashes commitment. Here’s to a great spring semester."
For more information, click here.