Updates to faculty layoff plan and other stuff

[wiu712]

NIU President Doug Baker issued a statement today about the state of their finances.

NIU held out hope that the State might provide some relief. In fact, the Senate leadership proposed a bipartisan budget and regulatory reform bills that would have fully funded higher education. While this plan would have been a positive step forward, the General Assembly failed to approve the proposal during its two-day lame duck session last week.

To address the lost revenue from last year and to prepare for the fiscal uncertainties for the rest of the current fiscal year, President Baker will now intensify the actions already taken that have resulted in approximately $50 million in savings over the past two fiscal years.

President Baker has directed division vice presidents and deans across campus to put into effect budget-reduction plans that they devised last fall. These are not across-the-board cuts; rather they are based on the individual circumstances of each unit and reflect university priorities. The reductions total an additional $11 million on an annualized basis. They are designed to preserve NIU's core educational mission and to continue the ability to deliver on the promise of helping students succeed in their careers and in their lives.

As has been the case over the last two fiscal years, most of the savings will result from filling only strategically critical job openings, implementing efficiencies, holding the line on salaries, deferring maintenance, and reducing spending on all non-critical services and supplies.

President Baker stated that more than ever before, NIU's future depends on the ability to generate additional revenue from sources such as enrollment rather than State appropriations. He said that NIU must operate in a new way – and in a more sustainable way – and NIU must align resources accordingly.

[vatusay]

How much money is saved by just eliminating the major and not the courses?

[sealhall74]

How much money is saved by just eliminating the major and not the courses?

I am just guessing here, but by eliminating the major I would think they would eliminate at least 75% of the faculty positions required to support that major. No longer a need for a lot of upper division courses.

[Tere North]

How much money is saved by just eliminating the major and not the courses?

I am just guessing here, but by eliminating the major I would think they would eliminate at least 75% of the faculty positions required to support that major. No longer a need for a lot of upper division courses.

Certainly the administrative office staff - Chair and any assistants, Advisor, Secretarial staff - so probably ~$250K/yr for each major eliminated or combined all into 1 existing broad major like Western did.

[wiu712]

SIU-Carbondale ending men's, women's tennis program amid budget woes.

From the Associated Press:

Southern Illinois University is cutting its men's and women's tennis programs and reducing scholarships for the men's swimming and diving teams.

The (Carbondale) Southern Illinoisan reports the reductions announced Thursday come as SIU faces declining enrollment and the state remains without a budget. School officials say the move will save about $660,000 annually starting next school year.

The tennis teams were threatened last year but SIU found the money to keep them running. But SIU athletic director Tommy Bell says it wasn't possible to keep the programs, even after cutting $1 million from a $22 million budget. He says SIU "ran out of options" due to the "severe budget environment." The school also has seen a dip in ticket revenue.

SIU's interim chancellor, president and Intercollegiate Athletic Advisory Committee have approved the reduction plan.

[wiu712]

10-Day Enrollment Figures for the 2017 Spring Semester:

Macomb Campus = 8,155.
QC Campus = 1,314.
Total = 9,469.

The Spring 2017 enrollment is a 6.2% decline from the 2016 Spring enrollment.

781 Western students earned degrees at the end of the 2016 Fall semester.

[ST_Lawson]

10-Day Enrollment Figures for the 2017 Spring Semester:

Macomb Campus = 8,155.
QC Campus = 1,314.
Total = 9,469.

The Spring 2017 enrollment is a 6.2% decline from the 2016 Spring enrollment.

781 Western students earned degrees at the end of the 2016 Fall semester.

Total enrollment decline last fall was 6.5% (that was with a freshman class that stayed the same as the previous year). It seems like the "drop" has mostly halted, although we're still technically losing total students because the "higher" classes were originally larger than the last two incoming freshmen/transfer class.

[wiu712]

Just heard on the News that Northeastern Illinois University has begun preparations for another round of furloughs. NEIU is being impacted by the lack of a state budget.

Interim NEIU President Richard J. Helldobler has said that the University will complete the spring semester and hold the May Commencement ceremony as scheduled. However, without stop-gap funding or an adequate appropriation, NEIU must find ways to stay afloat beyond that. He feels that a salary-savings plan or furlough program to be the most fair and least intrusive way for Northeastern to survive financially through the summer months until fall tuition dollars become available.

[wiu712]

In today's Springfield State Journal-Register Editorial, the future of Illinois going 4 years without a budget was discussed:

"The unpaid bills backlog would be about $24 billion on Election Day 2018 (up from the current $11 billion). The state's bond rating would be junk, and no agency would lend Illinois money. Several public universities would be gone, and the remaining ones would be sparsely attended by the few who could afford tuition (while the majority of students went to other states for their education). School funding disparity would just get worse. Property taxes would increase, and who knows what a property tax rate would need to be to dig out of the even-deeper hole."

[wiu712]

The battle to save Higher Education in Illinois was in full force yesterday in Springfield.

Western President Jack Thomas and Board of Trustees President Cathy Early were in Springfield yesterday to participate in the Higher Education Rally at the State Capitol.

President Thomas spoke at the Rally. He said that 45% of Illinois high school seniors who attended a four-year institution went out of state for their education. And that the public perception of the lack of support for higher education in Illinois is having an impact on enrollment.

In Springfield on Wednesday, Western Illinois University President Jack Thomas warned, “We are on the verge of a complete collapse of the Illinois higher education system.”

Moreover, the crisis in higher education is “sending our intellectual capital our of the state,” Thomas said.

In today's Springfield State Journal-Register, they mention that there have been hundreds of layoffs throughout the state at universities and colleges. Programs have been cut. Chicago State University faces the possibility of closure; others may follow.

The SJR suggests to examine administration at the state universities to see if there is bloat. Have leaders from each campus meet with business leaders to discuss if there is too much duplication of programs among the schools. If there is, consider having each campus specialize in a few areas. Create a vision as to what higher education in Illinois should be, and then provide annual appropriations so colleges and universities know the resources they have at their disposal.

You can read their full article here:
http://www.sj-r.com/opinion/20170208/ou ... n-priority