Updates to faculty layoff plan and other stuff

General Campus News, Updates, Discussion
wiu712
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Joined: Tue Apr 22, 2014 2:05 pm

The rapidly declining enrollment at SIU-Carbondale is causing a lot of concern. Their Fall 2018 freshmen class could be below 1,000. That would have been unthinkable just 5 years ago.

Civil Service employees at SIU-C are concerned about the rumored closing of East Campus and the estimated 150 civil service jobs that would be lost due to the closing. East Campus is a residential complex that consists of three 17-story towers and one 4-story building. East Campus is located near the Student Recreation Center, Student Health Center, and downtown Carbondale.
wiu712
Posts: 6864
Joined: Tue Apr 22, 2014 2:05 pm

wiu712 wrote: Mon Mar 12, 2018 9:51 amCivil Service employees at SIU-C are concerned about the rumored closing of East Campus and the estimated 150 civil service jobs that would be lost due to the closing.
It's no longer a rumor: East campus residence halls to close in the fall.
From the Daily Egyptian:
https://dailyegyptian.com/80620/showcas ... e-in-fall/
wiu712
Posts: 6864
Joined: Tue Apr 22, 2014 2:05 pm

Jim Nowlan: How do we save higher education in Illinois?

Whenever kicked out of Illinois government and politics, I have taken refuge as a visiting professor at several Illinois colleges and universities, primarily the University of Illinois. And I admit a soft spot.

Yet higher education across the country is out of favor at present, especially so in Illinois. Since 1978 (when I was Gov. Thompson’s assistant for education), state appropriations for higher education shrank from 10 percent of the total state budget to just 3 percent in 2014.

Excluding state funding for university pension programs, Illinois has lost, in real terms, one-third of its state funding for higher education in the period.

Consider also that many citizens are upset with colleges for, on some campuses, blocking conservative speakers and for creating “safe zones” for students who feel harmed by controversial statements.

In this regard, a recent national survey found that 58 percent of Republican respondents felt that “colleges have a negative impact on the country.” In contrast, 72 percent of Democrats said the sector had a positive effect.

All this is in sharp contrast to “the golden era” of higher education in Illinois, from post-World War II to the 1990s. In 2000, the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education ranked Illinois as having the best overall state system of higher education in the nation.

Not today, I’m sure. When state dollars to the sector slowed, public institutions started raising tuition and fees to offset what they considered a state funding shortfall. Now more Illinois students than ever are enrolling elsewhere, especially in neighboring states. In 2002, 29 percent of Illinois students enrolling in four-year universities did so out of state; in 2016 it was half (49 percent)!

As a result, several Illinois state universities have seen their enrollments drop precipitously in recent years. For example, Eastern Illinois University lost 36 percent of its enrollment between 2010 (11,630) and 2016 (7,415).

In addition, high school graduation numbers in Illinois are expected to decline, from 149,000 in 2013 to 125,000 in 2032.

Illinois public institutions have marvelous strengths. For example, the computer and electrical engineering program at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign ranks fifth best in the nation (a few years ago, it was third), according to annual rankings by U.S. News & World Report. According to the U of I’s president, the program awards more undergraduate degrees than MIT, Stanford, Berkeley and Cal Tech combined. No wonder tech companies are moving to Chicagoland.

Black Hawk College-East Campus, in my neck of the woods, has a distinguished set of agricultural programs, this year ranked by a prominent farm publication as second best in the nation among hundreds of community colleges.

Western Illinois University has a very highly regarded law enforcement program. There are many more such examples elsewhere in Illinois.

So, I am flummoxed that we aren’t trying harder to stabilize and strengthen higher education, an obvious, key driver of economic development. Our state already ranks high among the 50 states in the percentage of us who have college degrees, and even higher in those with graduate degrees. We should build on that.

I met recently in Springfield with several active and retired heads of higher education agencies and associations. What should be done, I asked?

They said we need more state-level analysis of how to fit capacity (probably too much at the moment) with the needs of both students and the state. These experts added that “checks and balances,” such as program approval and elimination, are needed at the state level from a respected oversight board.

The Illinois Board of Higher Education (IBHE) used to perform the above role, and it also generally kept higher ed free from the legislative pork-barrel projects that benefit this or that university.

But the IBHE lost its credibility and thus influence in the past couple of decades, and lawmakers and governors lack the time and expertise to oversee an Illinois public university and college sector that enrolls almost half a million students.

State Sens. Pat Maguire (D-Joliet) and Chapin Rose (R-Mahomet) have become specialists in higher education. They, other lawmakers and experts are holding meetings off the radar about how to bring order out of grave disarray in Illinois higher education.

For the sake of the economic future of Illinois, let us hope these elected officials can stabilize and strengthen Illinois’ higher ed sector, and soon.

Jim Nowlan is a former legislator and senior fellow at the U of I’s Institute of Government and Public Affairs. He lives in Toulon. Contact him at jnowlan3@gmail.com.
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sealhall74
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Location: Wherever, Windblows

wiu712 wrote: Thu Mar 15, 2018 9:03 am Jim Nowlan: How do we save higher education in Illinois?

Whenever kicked out of Illinois government and politics, I have taken refuge as a visiting professor at several Illinois colleges and universities, primarily the University of Illinois. And I admit a soft spot.

Yet higher education across the country is out of favor at present, especially so in Illinois. Since 1978 (when I was Gov. Thompson’s assistant for education), state appropriations for higher education shrank from 10 percent of the total state budget to just 3 percent in 2014.

Excluding state funding for university pension programs, Illinois has lost, in real terms, one-third of its state funding for higher education in the period.

Consider also that many citizens are upset with colleges for, on some campuses, blocking conservative speakers and for creating “safe zones” for students who feel harmed by controversial statements.

In this regard, a recent national survey found that 58 percent of Republican respondents felt that “colleges have a negative impact on the country.” In contrast, 72 percent of Democrats said the sector had a positive effect.

All this is in sharp contrast to “the golden era” of higher education in Illinois, from post-World War II to the 1990s. In 2000, the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education ranked Illinois as having the best overall state system of higher education in the nation.

Not today, I’m sure. When state dollars to the sector slowed, public institutions started raising tuition and fees to offset what they considered a state funding shortfall. Now more Illinois students than ever are enrolling elsewhere, especially in neighboring states. In 2002, 29 percent of Illinois students enrolling in four-year universities did so out of state; in 2016 it was half (49 percent)!

As a result, several Illinois state universities have seen their enrollments drop precipitously in recent years. For example, Eastern Illinois University lost 36 percent of its enrollment between 2010 (11,630) and 2016 (7,415).

In addition, high school graduation numbers in Illinois are expected to decline, from 149,000 in 2013 to 125,000 in 2032.

Illinois public institutions have marvelous strengths. For example, the computer and electrical engineering program at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign ranks fifth best in the nation (a few years ago, it was third), according to annual rankings by U.S. News & World Report. According to the U of I’s president, the program awards more undergraduate degrees than MIT, Stanford, Berkeley and Cal Tech combined. No wonder tech companies are moving to Chicagoland.

Black Hawk College-East Campus, in my neck of the woods, has a distinguished set of agricultural programs, this year ranked by a prominent farm publication as second best in the nation among hundreds of community colleges.

Western Illinois University has a very highly regarded law enforcement program. There are many more such examples elsewhere in Illinois.

So, I am flummoxed that we aren’t trying harder to stabilize and strengthen higher education, an obvious, key driver of economic development. Our state already ranks high among the 50 states in the percentage of us who have college degrees, and even higher in those with graduate degrees. We should build on that.

I met recently in Springfield with several active and retired heads of higher education agencies and associations. What should be done, I asked?

They said we need more state-level analysis of how to fit capacity (probably too much at the moment) with the needs of both students and the state. These experts added that “checks and balances,” such as program approval and elimination, are needed at the state level from a respected oversight board.

The Illinois Board of Higher Education (IBHE) used to perform the above role, and it also generally kept higher ed free from the legislative pork-barrel projects that benefit this or that university.

But the IBHE lost its credibility and thus influence in the past couple of decades, and lawmakers and governors lack the time and expertise to oversee an Illinois public university and college sector that enrolls almost half a million students.

State Sens. Pat Maguire (D-Joliet) and Chapin Rose (R-Mahomet) have become specialists in higher education. They, other lawmakers and experts are holding meetings off the radar about how to bring order out of grave disarray in Illinois higher education.

For the sake of the economic future of Illinois, let us hope these elected officials can stabilize and strengthen Illinois’ higher ed sector, and soon.

Jim Nowlan is a former legislator and senior fellow at the U of I’s Institute of Government and Public Affairs. He lives in Toulon. Contact him at jnowlan3@gmail.com.
Yet another example of recognition of the problem but no substantive proposals to fix it. If this guy had any balls, he would be calling for the end of the IBHE. Any group representing all public, private, non-profit, and for-profit educational institutions is about as useful as tits on a boar.
Embrace the pace of the race.
wiu712
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Joined: Tue Apr 22, 2014 2:05 pm

sealhall74 wrote: Thu Mar 15, 2018 10:06 amYet another example of recognition of the problem but no substantive proposals to fix it.
The problem at the present time is the excess capacity at the 12 state universities.

Chicago State has had 2 very small freshman classes. SIU-Carbondale is now looking at a freshman class under 1,000 for the fall semester. SIU-C will be closing their East Campus residence halls after the spring semester due to the decreasing enrollment.
wiu712
Posts: 6864
Joined: Tue Apr 22, 2014 2:05 pm

Colleges are getting creative with announcing acceptances. To combat declining enrollment, colleges are putting on a big show to convince accepted students to commit, showing up with balloons, dogs, and even a marching band.

From the NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt:
https://www.nbcnews.com/nightly-news/vi ... 7104835764
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Tere North
Posts: 1146
Joined: Wed Apr 16, 2014 10:59 pm

wiu712 wrote: Fri Mar 16, 2018 11:09 pm Colleges are getting creative with announcing acceptances. To combat declining enrollment, colleges are putting on a big show to convince accepted students to commit, showing up with balloons, dogs, and even a marching band.

From the NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt:
https://www.nbcnews.com/nightly-news/vi ... 7104835764
Of course it would help if the schools acted like they cared you came after you got there, too!
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Neckerchief
Posts: 67
Joined: Thu Mar 30, 2017 10:07 pm

VP Matt Bierman is leaving, taking a similar position at a much smaller university, Illinois Wesleyan in Bloomington/Normal.

https://www.iwu.edu/news/2018/bierman-n ... nance.html
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Tere North
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Joined: Wed Apr 16, 2014 10:59 pm

Neckerchief wrote: Tue Mar 20, 2018 6:30 pm VP Matt Bierman is leaving, taking a similar position at a much smaller university, Illinois Wesleyan in Bloomington/Normal.

https://www.iwu.edu/news/2018/bierman-n ... nance.html
It's a good move for Matt. Plus he moves to a University that has real leadership. A win, win for him.

Western will continue to struggle even to meet status quo until it takes the brave step toward leadership that actually has an achievable vision and moves to make that vision a reality instead of spinning numbers, promoting "wins" that really make little difference, and supports its strong programs while moving on from its weak ones. There is leadership on campus, but not where it can really make a difference. We need to bring it someone who will look at Western from the outside instead of the same-o, same-o, and have the constitutional fortitude to move us forward.
Purple Grandma
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Joined: Sat Apr 19, 2014 5:30 pm

Yes, Matt will be missed. I truly believe he was one of the main reasons WIU has survived through the past few years. Yet with every difficult decision I saw him make, his first concern was how the students would be affected and always voted in favor of them.
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