Updates to faculty layoff plan and other stuff

[Leatherneck10]

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.

So you think it's an acceptable idea for the General Assembly to pass an illegal, unconstitutional pension reform plan in order to fund higher education? Please do all state employees and retirees - and all citizens who respect the rule of law- a favor and never run for the General Assembly.

[Leatherneck10]

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.

You mean like the library has already been doing since at least the 90s with its membership in statewide consortia? I have never had a problem getting a scanned article in just a couple of days.

Don't let your disdain for one particular library employee cloud your judgment of the entire library operation. They're good people and do good work.

[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.

You mean like the library has already been doing since at least the 90s with its membership in statewide consortia? I have never had a problem getting a scanned article in just a couple of days.

Don't let your disdain for one particular library employee cloud your judgment of the entire library operation. They're good people and do good work.

It is not disdain for a particular employee. Why are the library folks even faculty. In general they don't teach classes except single session classes on how to use the library. Plus, the majority of the library "faculty" are on 12 month contracts when regular faculty are on 9 month contracts. Furthermore, belonging to a consortium is not the same as using a mega online library. The mega library distributes costs among all its subscribers and has access to far more materials readily online. Face it, students don't go to the library to get books anymore. It's sort of like a Kindle world, with 1500+ books all smaller than just a single paperback.

[WIU0812]

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.

So you think it's an acceptable idea for the General Assembly to pass an illegal, unconstitutional pension reform plan in order to fund higher education? Please do all state employees and retirees - and all citizens who respect the rule of law- a favor and never run for the General Assembly.

They legally and ethically should not be changing any already accued or previous pensions, but they really need to switch to a 401k system or something similar that requires the employee to fully fund his/her own retirement. My understanding is that the pension fund they had setup for a long time was completely unrealistic in being able to sustain paying into this and in turn is a large part of the problem now. I do not see how anyone could just take money out of your pension, but if problem has not been changed it needs to be so no future issues arise from something like retirement which should never of become a problem in the first place. This board/discussion makes me want to move out of Illinois quickly....

[ST_Lawson]

They legally and ethically should not be changing any already accued or previous pensions, but they really need to switch to a 401k system or something similar that requires the employee to fully fund his/her own retirement. My understanding is that the pension fund they had setup for a long time was completely unrealistic in being able to sustain paying into this and in turn is a large part of the problem now. I do not see how anyone could just take money out of your pension, but if problem has not been changed it needs to be so no future issues arise from something like retirement which should never of become a problem in the first place. This board/discussion makes me want to move out of Illinois quickly....

The pension fund would have been fine if lawmakers over the last couple of decades had funded it at the level that they were supposed to. Technically, I don't think that they took any money out of the existing fund, but for years, they used funds that were supposed to go towards the pension fund for other purposes. Some of the underfunding was a result of a miscalculation of how many people would be retiring at certain points in time, but most of the issue is just from the money not being put in by the state. I don't know what the answer is now though...the state obviously doesn't have the money to replenish the pension fund and likely won't for quite a while...the state constitution won't let them change much (if anything) with regards to the benefits. We do already have the option to put money into a 403b (like a 401k, but for public education employees) but the state pension is the only "guaranteed" pension available to state employees. If that dries up, anyone who hasn't already been investing a significant portion of their money into other investments is pretty much screwed, and even people who have been investing could also be screwed if we happen to have another serious recession in the years leading up to their retirement.

[wiu712]

SIU expects cuts, including at med school, amid funding loss

From the Associated Press:

Southern Illinois University expects to lay off several hundred employees if it loses over $45 million in state funding in the budget for fiscal year 2017.

President Randy Dunn issued a report Wednesday that detailed how the university's three campuses would be affected if Gov. Bruce Rauner's proposed 20 percent reduction in state university funding is enacted as part of the budget.

Dunn said more than 180 faculty and staff positions could be cut in Carbondale, about 100 jobs at the School of Medicine in Springfield, and nearly 140 positions in Edwardsville.

WSIU-FM reports that the Carbondale campus would reorganize its academic structure, cut library hours, scale back student services and eliminate sports.

Dunn said further cuts would be made if a state budget isn't passed until after the November 2016 election.

[ST_Lawson]

Don't know if this means anything or if it's just "talk" with nothing actually getting done...

[tweet]707948444128841728[/tweet]

[sealhall74]

I generally don't like creating whole new government departments/agencies but in this case I think Rauner should establish a "Department of Fiscal Responsibility" to deal with the problem. It is going to take many years to get this ship righted.

[sealhall74]

You can listen to the live Senate session here

http://www.ilga.gov/senate/audvid.asp# (Room 212)

[ST_Lawson]

If that link doesn't work for you, this works too: https://livestream.com/blueroomstream/events/4946620