I hope the light of JBP removes the shadow of BruceR come February.
I don’t intend for this post to be political, but I’ve seen a lot of Rauner bashing here that I don’t think is justified. And note that I did NOT vote for Rauner in the last election. But let’s look at the facts.
According to the State Higher Education Executive Officers of Boulder, CO (sheeo.org), in 2017, the state of Illinois spent $16,055 per FTE (Full Time Equivalent) higher education student. That amount is higher than 48 other states. In fact, in 2017, the average amount spent by states on higher education was $7,642 per FTE. This is less than HALF of what was spent on higher education in Illinois.
Another fact: Enrollment in higher education in the U.S peaked in 2011 at 11,622,033. In 2017, that number had fallen by more than 600,000. And due to declining birth rates, these numbers will most likely continue to fall.
Further, students are realizing that piling up student loans only to get a job at Starbucks after graduation is not realistic. There are many high paying jobs available today without a college degree. These facts will lead to further declines in higher education enrollment.
The incoming governor has pledged to increase spending on higher education. This is unrealistic, in my view. Illinois is deeply in debt, and more importantly, the pension system is massively underfunded. According to Fitch Ratings, Illinois’ pension debt plus long-term debt is the highest in the nation.
So, the state of Illinois has a major problem: too much debt. Misplaced anger at the WIU Board of Trustees or WIU Administration will not solve this problem. Threatening to strike will not solve this problem. Threatening legal action will not solve this problem. Signing a petition will not solve this problem. The only solution is to spend less money and begin to pay down the debt.
Universities in Illinois are the canary in the coal mine. Illinois is broke. Something that can’t go on forever WON’T. Welcome to the new normal.