Updates to faculty layoff plan and other stuff

[wiu712]

Higher Values = Higher Pay.

From Tri-States Public Radio WIUM-FM:
http://tspr.org/post/higher-values-higher-pay

[ST_Lawson]

I'm not going to comment on this, but I just wanted to post it in case anyone is curious. The presidential initiatives for 2017-2018 was posted today, in case anyone wants to look it over and see what Dr. Thomas considers the goals and priorities are (in a very general sense) for this school year: http://wiu.edu/president/initiatives.php

[leatherface]

A lot of lofty terminology that almost any university would write. Hopefully, particulars and specific plans to achieve this will follow. The current President is good at making lofty motivational type messages. Now, lets follow through with specifics. Not meant to be a negative comment. Sound good statements need to be followed up with action, and I hope that follows. Western is in a position to rebound, and will need good strategic planning to do that.

[wiu712]

Wonder what he means with 3 e): Diversify the campuses ???

[Tere North]

Wonder what he means with 3 e): Diversify the campuses ???

Clearly more important at 3e that 3i (Improve first-year retention rates) is. Sorry, but retention is key!

[wiu712]

Western BOT approves budget, eyes declining state funding and enrollment.

From today's McDonough County Voice:
http://www.mcdonoughvoice.com/news/2017 ... enrollment

[leatherface]

Retention is key. Many reasons mentioned in the past why Western needs to improve here, however, do a number of students leave because they don't feel they are challenged enough academically?

[Tere North]

Retention is key. Many reasons mentioned in the past why Western needs to improve here, however, do a number of students leave because they don't feel they are challenged enough academically?

Typically, the blame for students leaving is placed on poor grades or finances. However, while they try to do exit interviews with the students, what is reported is not what students indicated on the survey form, but rather what the staff interprets from the interviews, aka, poor grades and finances.

[wiu712]

Faculty have their say at Western Board of Trustees meeting.

From the McDonough County Voice:
http://www.mcdonoughvoice.com/news/2017 ... es-meeting

[wiu712]

This sentence from the above-referenced article in Saturday's newspaper goes a long way to help explain the current status of the local economy:

According to a graph generated by Institutional Research and Planning at WIU, the university has lost 24.7 percent of its civil service staff, 15.9 percent of its faculty, and 10.4 percent of its administrative professionals since 2011.