Updates to faculty layoff plan and other stuff

[wiu712]

According to university officials, Western Illinois University will announce its plan to reduce university expenditures to bring them in line with revenue to employees on March 1.

WIU spokesperson Darcie Shinberger also said that any layoff notices that are issued would be done in accordance with contractual obligations and University policy.

Lots riding on the Governor's Budget Address on Wednesday (Feb 20).

[ST_Lawson]

According to university officials, Western Illinois University will announce its plan to reduce university expenditures to bring them in line with revenue to employees on March 1.

WIU spokesperson Darcie Shinberger also said that any layoff notices that are issued would be done in accordance with contractual obligations and University policy.

Lots riding on the Governor's Budget Address on Wednesday (Feb 20).

The pro-tech union (the union for many of the people who might be in line to be let go) is trying to get information from the administration detailing what their original plan was for when layoffs were originally going to happen a month ago. You may remember that they were successfully pressured to delay the layoffs until after the budget address and the university having a much better idea of the financial support we can expect from the state and adjust the plan accordingly. The original layoff plan was based on funding that the same as last year, however they haven't said how many people or what positions that would have entailed. If the state comes out and says that universities will be getting more funding, then without the original plan, there is now way of knowing if the administration just stuck with the original plan or if they actually will take out some of the "cuts".

Like, say their original plan was to cut 50 positions. The state could say that WIU's funding is going to be up substantially (for example) and the administration could say "uh...yeah...we're going to be cutting 50...but our original plan was 60, so it's better, right?" Without knowing that number now...what the original plan's details were...there's no way to check if they're being honest.

[sealhall74]

Pritzker wants 55.2M increased funding for public universities. I assume each university does not get an equal share of that pie. If Google did the math right, our increase over the last budget should be in the neighborhood of

(7260 students/163786 students) * 55200000 dollars = $2,446,802

Basis for estimate: https://www.ibhe.org/assets/files/IBHE% ... llment.pdf

[wiu712]

Pritzker's team has been tamping down the expectations in today's budget address as the Gov will have to match expenditures against incoming revenue.

Today's Budget Address will be at 12 Noon and should be available on Illinois PBS television stations as well as public radio stations throughout the state.

[wiu712]

On Tuesday, Russ Morgan (Associate Provost for Budget, Planning, and Personnel) met with the SGA.

Morgan talked about the upcoming layoffs that will be announced on March 1. Morgan said: "There will be layoffs in terms of both civil service, office of support staff, administrative staff, some academic support specialists, and also perhaps some faculty layoffs as well. This is something that has been on the horizon for quite some time now, and the University’s income and budget can’t quite keep up with our costs. So just like any company, if you’re spending more than you are bringing in, you need to make some cuts.”

[sealhall74]

After hearing Pritzker's address, the first question that comes to my mind is this:

Which Illinois public university will become the first to upgrade their Ag program with a cannabis course or two?

https://www.marketwatch.com/story/these ... 2018-11-20

[wiu712]

A Budgetary Tale of Western's Two Campuses.
From Tri-States Public Radio, WIUM-FM:
https://www.tspr.org/post/budgetary-tale-two-campuses

[wiu712]

WIU Leaders Create New Administrative Positions While Eliminating other Jobs on Campus.
From Tri-States Public Radio, WIUM-FM:
https://www.tspr.org/post/wiu-leaders-c ... obs-campus

[Neckfansince71]

Wow, Tere North, well said!

The lack of interest in signing may well be related to the fact that UPI is the one promoting it, making it a Union issue, with Western's UPI having tarnished the image of WIU by (a) initially refusing to let their membership be part of the solution, instead arguing faculty should shoulder none of the needed cuts, (b) demanding more pay for less work and threatening a strike to get it, and (c) issuing a vote of no confidence against the administration. Nowhere in this was there an indication of wanting to do what was right for the university, only what was right for UPI.

jc

[Neckerchief]

Bill Thompson and the UPI have posted a petition on the far left website moveon.org urging Governor Pritzker to increase funding to WIU. As usual, they are ignoring reality and only thinking of themselves. How is it possible to decrease enrollment by more than 6,000 students and NOT decrease the number of faculty and staff?

It is time for Thompson and the UPI to face reality. The issue is not a lack of money, it’s a lack of students. WIU needs to increase enrollment. And increasing enrollment is the responsibility of Thompson, the UPI, and everyone who wants WIU to thrive.

I was talking with a professor from another university recently, and he told me that at his institution, EVERY faculty member was required to write numerous personal letters to prospective students, a tactic that showed tangible results.

Instead of focusing on a petition, Thompson, and all faculty, staff, and alumni who care, should be working diligently to help attract new students to WIU.