A sign on the door of the University’s Dairy Store reading “Closed until further notice” spurred mass confusion Thursday afternoon, but it turns out the store will reopen today.
John Russin, AgCenter vice chancellor for research, said the closure was a “one-day blip.” The Dairy Store will be open and functioning normally and will continue to do so.
The store closed Thursday after the sole employee in charge of producing ice cream left for a new job.
Gary Hay, director of the School of Animal Sciences, said he was worried that he may not be able to hire a new employee because of budget cuts, thus prompting the store’s indefinite closure.
Hay told The Daily Reveille earlier Thursday afternoon that if a new employee could not be hired, it would result in the permanent closure of the Dairy Store.
But Russin countered those claims.
“I have no idea why [Hay] said that before talking to us first,” Russin said.
Russin said the sign on the door was placed prematurely, and the issue has been resolved. Budget cuts are an obstacle universities must overcome, but they were not responsible for the store’s one-day closure, Russin said.
“Every unit on every campus has been stretched thin with the budget, but we all cobble together to keep the programs together,” he said.
Hay said AgCenter administrators were supportive in working to keep the store open after losing the employee.
“The loss of employee caught all of us by surprise, but we have resolved all issues with regard to filling the position,” he wrote in an e-mail.
The Daily Reveille reported in April 2011 that state budget cuts resulted in the loss of two positions at the Dairy Store but allowed it to operate more efficiently.
Russin said the AgCenter administration has developed a means of solving the current staffing problems and will begin the search for a new creamery manager.  
The store currently employs part-time employees and has ice cream already stock-piled and available for purchase.
Russin said several weeks’ worth of ice cream has already been produced.
He said a new creamery manager can’t be hired immediately, but the administration has configured a way to rearrange the staff.
The employee’s departure is not an immediate issue, Russin said.
Meaghan Jeansonne, political science freshman, said she frequently stops at the Dairy Store for an after-class treat and was concerned when it was believed the store would be closed for a longer period of time.
“It’s kind of a big staple here,” Jeansonne said. “They make a big deal out of it at orientation.”
 
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Contact Emily Herrington at [email protected]