Updates to faculty layoff plan and other stuff

General Campus News, Updates, Discussion
wiu712
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sealhall74 wrote: Tue May 14, 2019 3:54 pmA guaranteed 3% pension raise every year is not sustainable without some sort of cap in place.
Current state university employees contribute 8% of their salary to the State Universities Retirement System (SURS).

That 8% is broken down to 3 areas:
6.5% for retirement.
0.5% for the annual automatic increase (the 3% raise).
1.0% for survivors.

That 8% is deducted from the employee's paycheck.

It has been the State, under governors of both parties, who have failed to fully fund the employer's contribution to SURS.

Now the chickens are coming home to roost.
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ST_Lawson
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wiu712 wrote: Wed May 15, 2019 6:20 pm It has been the State, under governors of both parties, who have failed to fully fund the employer's contribution to SURS.

Now the chickens are coming home to roost.
Correct. Also, most of you probably already know this, but in case you don't, state employees under SURS (like myself and my wife) will not receive anything from social security (unless the employee happened to work enough years in the private sector). This is our social security.
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sealhall74
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wiu712 wrote: Wed May 15, 2019 6:20 pm
sealhall74 wrote: Tue May 14, 2019 3:54 pmA guaranteed 3% pension raise every year is not sustainable without some sort of cap in place.
Current state university employees contribute 8% of their salary to the State Universities Retirement System (SURS).

That 8% is broken down to 3 areas:
6.5% for retirement.
0.5% for the annual automatic increase (the 3% raise).
1.0% for survivors.

That 8% is deducted from the employee's paycheck.

It has been the State, under governors of both parties, who have failed to fully fund the employer's contribution to SURS.

Now the chickens are coming home to roost.
I have one of the best retirements in the country (federal government under the old Civil Service Retirement System). No guaranteed COLAs. I retired in 2011. Here is our COLA increases over that time.

2019 2.8
2018 2.0
2017 0.3
2016 0
2015 1.7
2014 1.5
2013 1.7
2012 3.6
2011 0
Embrace the pace of the race.
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sealhall74
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Location: Wherever, Windblows

sealhall74 wrote: Wed May 15, 2019 8:39 pm
wiu712 wrote: Wed May 15, 2019 6:20 pm
sealhall74 wrote: Tue May 14, 2019 3:54 pmA guaranteed 3% pension raise every year is not sustainable without some sort of cap in place.
Current state university employees contribute 8% of their salary to the State Universities Retirement System (SURS).

That 8% is broken down to 3 areas:
6.5% for retirement.
0.5% for the annual automatic increase (the 3% raise).
1.0% for survivors.

That 8% is deducted from the employee's paycheck.

It has been the State, under governors of both parties, who have failed to fully fund the employer's contribution to SURS.

Now the chickens are coming home to roost.
I have one of the best retirements in the country (federal government under the old Civil Service Retirement System). No guaranteed COLAs. I retired in 2011. Here is our COLA increases over that time.

2019 2.8
2018 2.0
2017 0.3
2016 0
2015 1.7
2014 1.5
2013 1.7
2012 3.6
2011 0

The only guarantee in life is death.
Embrace the pace of the race.
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Western_101
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Location: Morton, IL

To qualify for Social Security a person must work a total of 40 quarters (ten years) also there is a minimum threshold per quarter that must be achieved to count, not a lot like maybe $1,500. Social Security has pushed back the age to receive full benefits to 66 and I expect it to be 68 by the time I get there.

My wife won't qualify, and 68 is a long time to wait. I suggest we all start setting our dollars aside so we can all be self sufficient. :D

Easier said than done I know.
LocalYokelFan
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From Rich Miller over at Capitol Fax, JB's DRAFT Capital Plan:

https://capitolfax.com/2019/05/17/pritz ... ital-plan/

Noticed a new WIU science facility mentioned, but no mention of the Center for Performing Arts. The top line of the article does say "These projects do not include reappropriations (appropriated in earlier years, but the money wasn’t spent)." If WIU could get both a CPA and a new science facility in the next 6 years, I'd say that's a win and certainly progress.

Obviously this is all fluid right now, but thought I'd share.
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Neckfansince71
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Yes Yokel, that's also my understanding from the mouth of someone who knows. The CPA is not totally shovel ready but it is darn near close. A science building plus the CPA would be a major step in the right direction and would definitely support those majors which seem to be leading us in the right direction. Currens and Waggoner were were pretty much brand new when I got to campus in 1971 and have show some wear the last couple of years. I like the way this looks! Also, there has been talk of reconfiguring Horrabin Hall, moving much of what's housed there to Waggoner and moving everything currently housed in Waggoner to the new science building. Horrabin was built as a replacement for Simpkins as the university lab school and really needs either help or the wrecking ball! ;) jc
wiu712
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Sunday's "Illinois Lawmakers" on PBS dealt with DCFS and Higher Education.

The panelists said that the new Capitol Budget may exclude those projects that were originally proposed years ago (like Western's Performing Arts Center). The reason for that (according to the program) is the decreasing enrollments at the regional universities.
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Neckfansince71
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712, can you tell me where this statement is in the program! ;) jc
wiu712
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Neckfansince71 wrote: Mon May 20, 2019 5:36 am712, can you tell me where this statement is in the program!
It comes in the 2nd half of the program when Sen. Pat McGuire (D) Hill Crest and Sen. Steve McClure (R) Springfield are talking about the Capitol Budget.

They did not mention specific projects by name. But they did state the previously-approved projects may now not be included in the Capitol Budget. They cited that the decreasing enrollments have changed the dynamics.
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