Updates to faculty layoff plan and other stuff

[Neckfansince71]

Saw this article in the Daily Herald this morning. Funny how the "data" tells a different story.

http://www.dailyherald.com/article/2016 ... 160319307/

jc

[wiu712]

I heard a political commentator from Springfield today say that we may never see a budget during Rauner's term. That would mean 3 more years of this silliness.

[ST_Lawson]

Also how do these private universities make hand over fist? Or seems like they do?

In many cases they're funded directly by another private institution (like a church) or by a large endowment that was set up at the university's founding. I think in the case of most religious schools, they don't actually make a ton of money, they just have a funding source that is much less influenced by the whims of lawmakers. It's much less likely that the Catholic church stops funding Notre Dame than it is that the state of Illinois would stop funding their state schools (obviously).

In the situation of private non-religious schools, many were set up with a large endowment initially and that money has been invested well over time. For example, Stanford University...private, non-religious. From their wikipedia page:

Stanford was founded by Leland Stanford, a railroad magnate, U.S. senator, and former California governor, together with his wife, Jane Lathrop Stanford. It is named in honor of their only child, Leland Stanford, Jr., who died in 1884 from typhoid fever just before his 16th birthday. His parents decided to dedicate a university to their only son, and Leland Stanford told his wife, "The children of California shall be our children." The Stanfords visited Harvard's president, Charles Eliot, and asked whether he should establish a university, technical school or museum. Eliot replied that he should found a university and an endowment of $5 million would suffice (in 1884 dollars; about $132 million today).

The trustees of Stanford over the years have successfully saved and invested that endowment to the point where it is now worth approximately $22.223 billion. I don't know what the annual operating budget of the university is, but I'd bet that most (if not all) is covered entirely by interest and dividends from the now-ginormous endowment. In fact, they make so much money from it, that they are able to offer essentially free tuition for anyone who's parents make less than $65k a year, and tuition essentially fully covered by grants and scholarships for anyone who's parents make less than $125k a year (obviously, you have to be accepted into Stanford though...that's the tough part).

So, they are making money hand-over-fist, but it's not coming from spending less money than they're bringing in via tuition. I think that if a university does that, they qualify as a for-profit university.

[vatusay]

Wow thanks for the info! Just seems like many, if not all, private universities have very nice campuses. But from what I understand their tuition is much higher. Illinois college in Jacksonville is main one I'm thinking of.

I never thought of the religious connection with some of them.

[ST_Lawson]

Wow thanks for the info! Just seems like many, if not all, private universities have very nice campuses. But from what I understand their tuition is much higher. Illinois college in Jacksonville is main one I'm thinking of.

I never thought of the religious connection with some of them.

Many do have higher tuition, as well as the funding from other sources. Illinois College is affiliated with the United Church of Christ and Presbyterian Church, so I would imagine receives money/support from both of them.

[vatusay]

Looks like the senate voting on higher Ed funding bill tomorrow.

Mirrors previous bills so it actually accomplishes nothing.

[wiu712]

SIU-Edwardsville faculty considering unionization

From the Associated Press:

Some Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville faculty members say they are considering organizing a union because of budget woes and potential layoffs.

The Intelligencer in Edwardsville reports that about 400 tenure-track faculty members have formed the Faculty Association. The tenure-track professors are the largest group on campus not represented by a union.

Faculty Association co-chairman Charles Berger says university administration aren't the problem. He says it's Springfield, which "is holding the budget hostage and forcing cuts."

Berger said if the situation doesn't improve, there will be "profound effects on the quality of education at SIUE and schools throughout the state."

Illinois Education Association official Michael McDermott says if a minimum of 30-percent of the faculty members show interest in unionizing, it would force a faculty vote.

[Tere North]

SIU-Edwardsville faculty considering unionization

From the Associated Press:

Some Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville faculty members say they are considering organizing a union because of budget woes and potential layoffs.

The Intelligencer in Edwardsville reports that about 400 tenure-track faculty members have formed the Faculty Association. The tenure-track professors are the largest group on campus not represented by a union.

Faculty Association co-chairman Charles Berger says university administration aren't the problem. He says it's Springfield, which "is holding the budget hostage and forcing cuts."

Berger said if the situation doesn't improve, there will be "profound effects on the quality of education at SIUE and schools throughout the state."

Illinois Education Association official Michael McDermott says if a minimum of 30-percent of the faculty members show interest in unionizing, it would force a faculty vote.

The purpose of Unions is to protect workers from administration. Yet, "Faculty Association co-chairman Charles Berger says university administration aren't the problem." But rather, "it's Springfield, which 'is holding the budget hostage and forcing cuts.'"

Just as it has on Western's campus, a Union won't change what the State is doing, only mean that faculty can refuse to be part of the solution.

[vatusay]

Kind of bad time to try and form a union don't you think?

Wonder if before all of this the faculty there wan anti-Union or complain about paying "fair-share" tax.

Then in rough times "crap we need a union!!!!"

Lol.

[sealhall74]

It seems to me that that bigger more populous states without Right to Work laws (e.g. Illinois) are losing a whole lot of people to other states. Maybe Rauner has the right idea on this matter. You look at these two maps and judge for yourself.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/won ... hat-arent/
http://www.nrtw.org/rtws.htm