Updates to faculty layoff plan and other stuff

[LocalYokelFan]

So once again the question is, where are we going and how are we going to get there? jc

That's the question worth more than $200M right there! I congratulate Dr. Thomas and the staff for securing the capital and operating funds, but WIU needs a new vision for higher education and certainly needs to get away from "how we've done it in the past". That's something I think this leadership team hasn't done a great job envisioning or implementing.

[Tere North]

So once again the question is, where are we going and how are we going to get there? jc

That's the question worth more than $200M right there! I congratulate Dr. Thomas and the staff for securing the capital and operating funds, but WIU needs a new vision for higher education and certainly needs to get away from "how we've done it in the past". That's something I think this leadership team hasn't done a great job envisioning or implementing.

Especially when you consider we have a Senior VP in charge of Strategic Planning who has clearly missed the boat in terms of futures forecasting, environmental scanning, and planning for the future.

Pictures representative of the current WIU leadership trio

[Neckfansince71]

We can not afford to have a missed step! And the future has everything todo with WIU/Macomb with some help from the quad cities. Still think the emblem for the quad cities should be the same as for WIU/Macomb. When we escape the weather in late January, we head to Tampa via the Birmingham root. On day two, we always head to Troy after turning south east in Montgomery. The scenery is filled with pole pines and farmland with an occasional gas station and tourist attraction. You basically pass to the south of Troy State University and as you head toward Florida, about 45 minutes later you pass another Troy State campus with a couple of colonial/southern portico like buildings. There is no difference in the signage or emblem at it's entrance. It is an extension of Troy State. I will have to check out what is offered there in the near future.

I once again made the trip down to Macomb for the Leatherneck Golf Classic. There are a whole lot of people who love WIU both in the community and on campus. And my travels and connection in the suburbs has unearthed a pethora of Leatherneck too. We just need a direction, a plan, a road map. We need to plot the course after a good plan of action. To this day I am proud of the fact that I was the Chair of the West Suburban Science Supervisors Association for six years. During that time I was able to get a group of very talented but stubborn and opinionated department chairs from the western suburbs to work together to put on a number of winter institutes and AP conferences. I never chaired a subcommittee but over saw them all with the goal of working together for the good of all. It was all hands on deck when it needed to be.

[wiu712]

There needs to be a long range plan for the university. It doesn’t look like there really is one at this time.

[Neckfansince71]

712, you are absolutely right! jc

[Tere North]

There needs to be a long range plan for the university. It doesn’t look like there really is one at this time.

Campus Master Plan for both campus
http://www.wiu.edu/university_planning/masterplan.php

Strategic Plan updated through 2022
http://www.wiu.edu/university_planning/ ... icplan.php

All led by the Senior Vice President for Strategic Planning and Initiatives
http://www.wiu.edu/vpqp/

[vatusay]

Great news. Still need to shake the excess weight (quad cities), and maybe recoup a fraction of the original “investment”.

I hope they take advantage of new science building. IMO focusing on STEM courses is the key to the future for any university.

It was nice of him to go to Springfield, but Thomas still needs to go. Getting money during a $40 billion cash giveaway from the governor does not change the lack of leadership and downward trend during his tenure. Having a couple new buildings (hopefully) in a few years will not change that constant.

[ST_Lawson]

It was nice of him to go to Springfield, but Thomas still needs to go. Getting money during a $40 billion cash giveaway from the governor does not change the lack of leadership and downward trend during his tenure. Having a couple new buildings (hopefully) in a few years will not change that constant.

Agreed. The biggest thing for me is comparing us to Eastern Illinois. We're in similar situations...smaller school, in a small town/rural area, and we were both hit hard by the state's financial problems. However, last fall, when the state was able to finally get money going to the universities, EIU's enrollment ticked up just over 7% overall (and had a freshman enrollment increase of just under 25% over the previous year).
Meanwhile, WIU lost another nearly 10% of our students overall, and had a drop in freshmen of 23.6%.
"In these trying times" EIU has turned things around, while WIU continues to flounder, and a big part of that is the leadership.

[vatusay]

I’m hoping the BOT comes through for the university and community.

[sealhall74]

EIU essentially rebranded themselves and put a fresh coat of paint on everything. They contracted this effort out to a marketing firm which takes money and bold leadership. Kudos to them BUT they need to watch out for the proverbial "sophomore slump".