Updates to faculty layoff plan and other stuff

[vatusay]

Lol.

Love the attitude.

[LocalFan]

Wow. Northeastern Illinois University is furloughing all administrative/professional and non-negotiated staff one day per week starting March 14. A 20% pay cut with 1 week's notice? Yikes. http://capitolfax.com/2016/03/08/neiu-c ... furloughs/

The faculty union at EIU is voting on a 5.6% salary reduction. The proposal has provisions for a possible repayment if certain financial conditions are met. http://www.dailyeasternnews.com/2016/03 ... repayment/

This is just crazy. Contact your elected officials and get them to support higher education!

[ST_Lawson]

You just beat me to it...I was just posting about NEIU. They'd been keeping things pretty quiet up to this point, although I'd heard that they were worse off than we were. Every university has that "deadline date" where they can get to without having to resort to furloughs and other cuts. NEIU lasted a little longer than we did before announcing them, but the cuts they are making look much more significant than ours.
We've now heard from Chicago State and Eastern (multiple times) as well as ourselves, Northeastern, and SIU-Carbondale's planned cuts which will likely be announced in the next few weeks. SIU-E cut a couple of sports, but I don't think I've heard anything else from them yet (then again, it's probably easier for them since their enrollment has been increasing quite a bit). Have we heard anything out of Governor's State or Northern? I can't remember seeing/reading anything about cuts from them yet, but I'd have to imagine that we're getting close to their "deadline date" too.

[wiu712]

An even bigger "hit" will come if the state universities start to lose accreditation due to the financial cuts that are being made just to keep the doors open.

Very few will want to attend an unaccredited university.

[sealhall74]

Chalk up another plus to South Dakota. Every public school here is under the umbrella system. I walk in the mall here in Sioux Falls and head to the food court. Big signs all over advertising this thing called the "University Center". I asked OldHare's wife about it and she says it is something set up for Sioux Falls area students whereby they can work on a degree to ANY SD school. What a novel idea given that Sioux Falls is the largest metro area in the state. Soon as Illinois figures out that the real purpose of education is to educate their students, their problem will be solved.

http://www.sduniversitycenter.org/

[ST_Lawson]

The WIU Student Government Association has teamed up with NIU's SGA to present letters representing students to the state leaders:

Not sure what affect it might have, but every voice helps.

[wiu712]

Have we heard anything out of Governor's State or Northern? I can't remember seeing/reading anything about cuts from them yet, but I'd have to imagine that we're getting close to their "deadline date" too.

Governors State is one of the few state universities that has been gaining enrollment. Plus they play NAIA athletics which has to cost less to operate than NCAA Division 1. They might be in a better position than Chicago State and Eastern. Governors State did have a student and faculty rally on Monday to protest the lack of a state budget.

Chalk up another plus to South Dakota. Every public school here is under the umbrella system.

Having everyone under the same "umbrella" does have some merit.

The state universities in Illinois used to have a different organizational set-up. There was a Board that operated the U of I system. Then there was a Board of Governors which ran Eastern, Western, and maybe another one or two. The Board of Regents ran Illinois State, Southern Illinois, and Northern Illinois.

Today a lot of places (like Western) have their own separate Board of Trustees. This set-up causes the state universities to compete against each other instead of working together.

[ST_Lawson]

Citing a combination of player injuries and the financial state of the university, SIU will not be participating in any post-season basketball tournaments: http://www.siusalukis.com/sports/m-bask ... 16aaa.html

They went 22-10 and would likely have gotten an invite to one of the post-season tournaments (like the CIT, CBI, etc.)

EDIT - and here's an update from SIU's president regarding university and system-wide cuts: http://capitolfax.com/2016/03/09/siu-pr ... proposals/
SIUC - $22.856 million
SIU School of Medicine - $8.799 million
SIUE - $14.074 million
SIU System - $807,000

[meganeck]

On the news last night the Governor was urging the House and Senate to pass his pension reform plan and then with the savings put it to fund higher education and the MAPS program. Doesn't sound like it will happen but can always hope.

[Tere North]

I see the SIU system is planning to cut Library acquisitions by 40%. Honestly, in this day and age of online libraries run by very large ground based major schools, why doesn't Western look into doing away with the stacks and purchase membership in of these mega libraries who if they don't have it electronically, can scan it and get it to you digitally in just a couple of days. We'd gain much greater access and much less cost and be able to use the library facility more wisely and efficiently just having staff to help folks do the online searching. Through 2 other universities, I've had access to these e-libraries and it is so, so much better, and I've got to believe, much, much cheaper for WIU.