Program cuts

[wiu712]

News story today from the Associated Press:

By Kerry Lester

University chiefs: Rauner budget cuts would be dramatic.


Presidents of three state public universities told lawmakers Thursday that Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner's proposal to cut higher education funding by nearly $400 million would lead to significant setbacks at campuses that would reverberate for years.

The officials from Western, Southern and Eastern Illinois universities told a Senate panel that the cuts — a 31 percent reduction in state funds to each school's budget — could not be offset by drastic tuition increases, a move they feared would drive down enrollment and essentially force the schools to function as private entities.

"We will not put this on the backs of our students," Eastern Illinois University President William Perry said, calling next year's proposed $13 million in cuts for the university "too much to swallow all at once." Instead, he urged lawmakers and school officials "to reason together for the fiscal year '16 budget."

If such a budget was passed by lawmakers, Perry said the school would do its best to adapt, paring down student programs and services and cutting as many as 250 faculty and staff positions.

"It's going to be tough, but the key is that the long-term effects of this are going to be the most significant," Perry said. "Four or five years from now, you would see some more difficult effects in competing for faculty, competing for professional staff."

The cuts to higher education are part of the governor's $32 billion budget proposal presented last month. The plan aims to bridge a $6 billion budget gap next year without raising taxes. Along with higher education, Medicaid would see a $1.5 billion cut under the plan, and state aid to child welfare programs and local government funding would be significantly reduced, among other areas.

Rauner has said that universities will need to look at their own budgets and have built up staff, along with bureaucracies, over the years, noting that he will give them flexibility with the cuts. But the university officials said Thursday that the plan would cut the institutions to the bone marrow.

Southern Illinois University President Randy Dunn said a proposed $44 million cut to the Carbondale campus and another $20 million cut to the university's Edwardsville campus would jeopardize some of the school's "signature majors," including its flight school and pharmacy program. Dunn said the reductions could also force as many as 1,000 course sections to disappear.

"If we don't see a mitigation of what has been proposed, this budget will roll back our state support to a level we haven't seen in 30 years," Dunn said.

Western Illinois University President Jack Thomas said a $16.5 billion dip in funding for the school would not only prevent the school from keeping pace with other competing schools but also would blunt the university's role as an economic engine for a 16 county region, which he said provides roughly $377 million in revenue annually. He urged lawmakers to "recognize the unintended consequences of such a drastic cut."

Rauner's proposal is merely a starting point in what is expected to be a months-long negotiation with Democrats who control the General Assembly, and top Democrats have signaled that it may be a difficult battle.

"From everything that I've heard from all the university presidents, they think this the wrong way to go. These types of cuts will only lead to raising tuition, cutting classes or devastating the economic productivity of the regions where they're located," said state Sen. Dan Kotowski, D-Park Ridge, one of the chamber's two appropriations committee chairs. "I agree with them. I think it's the wrong way to go. It's very damaging."

[leatherface]

The end results will not be that bad, but, not good either. How about WIU become a branch of the U of I, and be the official Liberal Arts campus? U of I at Macomb? Might help funding?

[vatusay]

You know what makes sense? Running the university as if it WERE a private entity. Then maybe you wouldn't have to rely so much on state funding. That makes far too much sense.

Believe me I love the idea of a nice, shiny, new theater, but, does WIU really need a $70 MILLION PAC right now? By the previous article posted that would pay for the proposed funding cuts to all the directional schools and then some.

Buying the old cinema was a great move also.

There are so many positions that could be cut among faculty and staff to save money its ridiculous, and you will never ever convince me otherwise.

There will, more than likely, be more cuts coming down the road from the governors office on all fronts. Better to be prepared instead of shocked. Whats the old adage?

"Expect the worst, hope for the best."

Sorry, it just mind boggling to me. Adios.

[WIU0812]

Ya it can go a lot of ways either things are going to get really really bad in Illinois or they are going to get a little better. As for the PAC, unfortunately that 70 million would never of came to WIU unless it was for construction of a building. It is more or less part of a larger construction fund that is used to stimulate growth and produce more construction jobs in areas. So if it would of came down to not building the PAC in order to try to garner more funds for current budget we would of received most likely 0 extra dollars and would not be getting the building. Unfortunately these types of funds are not just given to the schools in order to fund whatever they need they are specific to certain projects.

[vatusay]

Fantastic point on the PAC, I realize all of that, its just still 70 big ones lol. Im in the construction industry, and believe me, the more work the better, so im coming from a side that could actually benefit from the construction.

To me its just the general idea of it, if you know what i mean.

I'm also guessing Rauner doesn't have the power to freeze this project, or else I'd have to think he would have. Haven't looked into that though.

[Western_101]

What is a "Directional School"?

[ST_Lawson]

What is a "Directional School"?

Generally used to refer to the "non-state" state schools.
Northern, Eastern, Southern, Western....they are directions...therefore "directional".

University of....
... State University
Those are not considered "directional" usually, even if occasionally some will be relatively comparable to some of the directional schools in the state (Illinois State, Indiana State, Missouri State)...people usually think more of Ohio State, Florida State, Michigan State, etc.

You'll also occasionally see directions like Central (Michigan, Arkansas), Southeastern (Louisiana), etc.

Obviously there are exceptions, but in general, each state has one or two "primary" state schools, and the rest are "directional".

[wiu712]

We can't forget the other "directional" university: Northeastern Illinois University which is located in the North Park community of Chicago.

[Tere North]

The end results will not be that bad, but, not good either. How about WIU become a branch of the U of I, and be the official Liberal Arts campus? U of I at Macomb? Might help funding?

This approach would actually make sense, similar to the California approach of the UC system and the Cal State system. Since we only have 12 state universities in Illinois, we'd only need one system though. U of I Urbana/Champaign, U of I Chicago, U of I Springfield, and then add the others, U of I Macomb, U of I Quad Cities, etc.

[leatherface]

Don't know if Northern, Southern or ISU would be on board. However, seems like a good fit for WESTERN. Visibility, possible enrollment increase, funding , facilities.