* From EIU’s president. Just so you’re clear, “A&P” employees are administrative and professional workers, not tenured faculty…
Dear Campus Community,
Thank you for your patience and understanding as we work through the cost reductions made necessary by the budgetary impasse in Springfield. I greatly appreciate the input and support I have received in this process from both within our campus community and beyond.
There is very little additional news from Springfield. A smattering of bills were filed last month providing various levels and scopes of funding for public higher education, including one that would provide funding but only for community colleges and MAP grants and another that would provide both full MAP funding as well as an appropriation for the universities but at a rate of only 80 percent of last year’s level. The recent flurry of bills being filed to support higher education appropriations is a positive sign that our lawmakers are realizing the urgency and critical nature of what we are facing.
There was an immense showing of support by our campus and regional community at the Fund EIU rally last Friday. We all love this institution first and foremost for the excellence it provides in educating our students. However, it is also an economic, intellectual and cultural engine for our entire region of Illinois. I remain steadfastly confident that our General Assembly and Governor realize the great importance of EIU and all public universities to the future of our great state.
I would like to re-emphasize that the entirety of our cost reduction activities that are being implemented this month and continuing in March (with layoffs and furloughs) is the direct result of not having an appropriation for EIU enacted by the state and not receiving funds for MAP grants that were committed to our students by the state (which we honored).
Owing to the budgetary situation and in respect to our many colleagues facing layoffs, I am postponing our annual Years of Service luncheon scheduled for this week until later in the year or, perhaps, not until next fall. We will look forward to celebrating when our appropriation is enacted and the recall of those laid off begins to take place. Employees may contact the Vice President for Business Affairs to receive their service pins.
I am disappointed that we will need to lay off 198 civil service employees. Layoff notices will be delivered on Wednesday and Thursday (Feb. 10 and 11). Our Human Resources Office will provide as much assistance as possible to those who will be laid off. We are saddened to be put in this position, and realize it will affect either directly or indirectly our entire campus community.
If an appropriation is enacted and funds begin to be received at the university by the layoff date of Saturday, March 12, many or all of the layoff notices could be rescinded.
In addition to layoffs, all A&P employees (beginning on March 1) will be required to take the equivalent of one day of furlough per week, each month, until further notification or up until June 30, 2016. For those employees who were already required to take a specific number of furlough days, these days will be added until an employee has reached a total of 24 furlough days at which time they have met the maximum furlough limit (EIU IGP #189). The specific days chosen to furlough for any month will be determined by the supervisor in consultation with the employee according to university operational needs and the interests of the employee.
There will be the following number of furlough days:
Days in the month chosen for furlough need not be structured as one per week. For example, it would be possible, pending supervisor approval, to use the five days of Spring Break to satisfy furlough for the month of March.
The administration continues to work on alternative strategies that may allow for reducing the number of layoffs. As these discussions continue, I will communicate with the campus. A reduction in A&P required furlough days is possible upon the enactment of an appropriation and timely receipt of funds from the state.
Let us stand together in optimism that an appropriation for EIU will be enacted quickly with funds distributed to our university in order that these difficult measures affecting our campus family can be avoided. I am thankful and proud to serve as your president and we will continue together in action for our students and our beloved university.
Sincerely,
David M. Glassman
President, Eastern Illinois University
- PublicServant - Tuesday, Feb 9, 16 @ 10:28 am:
Way to jumpstart the economy Bruce! Keep up the good work.
Illinois
- Huh? - Tuesday, Feb 9, 16 @ 10:28 am:
Hostage being given the choice of a leg or arm.
So much for 1.4% and his desire to help fund education.
- Frenchie Mendoza - Tuesday, Feb 9, 16 @ 10:30 am:
The biggie will be the first big school to lose accreditation or first to be put on HLC probation because of Rauner’s self-inflicted chaos.
It’ll be hard to pretend that doesn’t exist.
- Cassiopeia - Tuesday, Feb 9, 16 @ 10:33 am:
So tenured faculty again are the protected elite.
- NixonHead - Tuesday, Feb 9, 16 @ 10:33 am:
Too bad this hostage taking process didn’t occur early enough to damped the career of Tony Romo. Now we’re all stuck with it. No snark.
- Sir Reel - Tuesday, Feb 9, 16 @ 10:36 am:
As a former non union State employee, I learned that forced furloughs near retirement are one way to reduce pension liability. Maybe this was and is Rauner’s plan
- Huh? - Tuesday, Feb 9, 16 @ 10:36 am:
24 days of furlough is a 10% pay cut.
1.4% is getting his wish to crush the unions.
- RNUG - Tuesday, Feb 9, 16 @ 10:37 am:
= … the recall of those laid off begins to take place … many or all of the layoff notices could be rescinded. ==
Recall is not part of Rauner’s plan; permanent reduction is.
- AC - Tuesday, Feb 9, 16 @ 10:39 am:
Rauner doesn’t want public institutions, universities, or even museums to exist, he wants for profit education like DeVry, which he described on Twitter as a “great model for education here in IL” even as they’re being sued by the Federal Trade Commission.
- fred s - Tuesday, Feb 9, 16 @ 10:39 am:
You can’t lose 23% of the student body between 2010-2014 and think everything will be peaches and cream at EIU. That annual revenue loss is likely around $20 million dollars
- Dance Band on the Titanic - Tuesday, Feb 9, 16 @ 10:40 am:
Perhaps someone can explain how taking a 20% reduction in one’s pay will lead to economic growth in that region of Illinois.
- ash - Tuesday, Feb 9, 16 @ 10:41 am:
Fred — the institution went through “right-sizing” in the fall to reflect the reduction. The new measures are all due to a lack of appropriation.
- Anonymous - Tuesday, Feb 9, 16 @ 10:44 am:
Fred S. - The enrollment decline was dealt with in August by eliminating 160 positions and furloughing all A&P staff making over $50k anywhere from 7-14 days each. These reductions now are all directly related to the lack of state funds.
- Graduated College Student - Tuesday, Feb 9, 16 @ 10:44 am:
===So tenured faculty again are the protected elite. ===
I know we like to pretend that contract law doesn’t exist, but typically it is rather difficult to furlough tenured faculty because of contract provisions.
- Anonymous - Tuesday, Feb 9, 16 @ 10:47 am:
GCS - Yes, it takes about a year to lay-off a faculty member and at EIU their contract does not provide for furloughs - though it appears the administration is hoping they will consider voluntarily taking some to reduce the number of required layoffs.
- Rich Miller - Tuesday, Feb 9, 16 @ 10:52 am:
===So tenured faculty again are the protected elite. ===
LOL
It’s a university.
You’d rather they lay off teachers and keep bureaucrats?
Are you nuts?
- Retired Already - Tuesday, Feb 9, 16 @ 10:54 am:
-You can’t lose 23% of the student body between 2010-2014 and think everything will be peaches and cream at EIU.
As bad as has been the loss of students is only going to greatly accelerate. Who would send their just graduating high school son or daughter to an institution going through such turmoil and with the potential threat that it may not even be open for the fall semester. That’s four years of tuition and fees lost for each student not coming to EIU. The damage being done is long term!
- Get a Job!! - Tuesday, Feb 9, 16 @ 10:54 am:
I was a Merit Comp employee during the year we had to take 24 furloughs (FY10 or FY11, I believe) & let me tell you, it sucks. It sucks for the employee who loses nearly 10% of their salary & it sucks for management because there’s just nobody around to get the work done.
But I cannot imagine the level of suck that comes with 24 furloughs in a 4-month period. This is a +20% paycut for these folks & a 20% reduction in capacity to complete tasks. It’s really sad what’s happening to the folks who are just trying to earn a living serve the students of EIU.
- Mostly Harmless - Tuesday, Feb 9, 16 @ 10:57 am:
Rich - would it clarify your intro to say that A&P leaves out all faculty, tenured and not? Or are non tenure-track faculty taking furlough days?
When UI had furlough days a few years ago, faculty were told that on their furlough days they could not be on campus. With as many days as EIU is talking about, there is no way to furlough faculty without affecting class time for students, which EIU is trying to prioritize over everything else.
- Deep South - Tuesday, Feb 9, 16 @ 10:59 am:
It’s “union” faculty, tenured or not. And they are freaking out, not over EIU, but over the “financial exigency” declared by Chicago State. That means all bets are off…contracts mean nothing when that happens.
- Anonymous - Tuesday, Feb 9, 16 @ 11:00 am:
Did IBHE even attend their rally? Has IBHE taken a position on any of the appropriation bills?
- fred s - Tuesday, Feb 9, 16 @ 11:07 am:
Retired Already—I’m going to correct your last sentence. “The damage that was done between 2010-2014 is long term.”
5 years of drastic enrollment drops has cost EIU somewhere between $60-$100 million dollars.
- Demoralized - Tuesday, Feb 9, 16 @ 11:09 am:
==Did IBHE even attend their rally? Has IBHE taken a position on any of the appropriation bills?==
While you may think it is, the IBHE isn’t independent of the Governor’s office anymore than any other state agency. They aren’t going to take any positions unless the Governor tells them to.
- New Jersey - Tuesday, Feb 9, 16 @ 11:23 am:
Waiting for Sens. Righter and Rose, and Rep. Phillips, to man up, take on Rauner, and come to EIU’s rescue.
But then again, as Phillips told an EIU student who pressed Him on why he missed the MAP grant vote, got the following vote from Phillips:
” That was a sham vote, young lady. You don’t understand these things.”
These days, who understands the lack of political will of these legislators?
- Anonymous - Tuesday, Feb 9, 16 @ 11:25 am:
Fred S. - Yes. The enrollment issue is huge. But again, the new president who came to EIU last June immediately took action and laid off 160 people and furloughed hundreds at 7-14 days each to remedy the structural deficit to the tune of over $10M in a matter of a couple months. He was left with a smaller, but balanced budget and university. EIU is not alone in experiencing significant enrollment decline as a public university in Illinois (see Crain’s link below). As you can imagine every effort is being made to reverse the enrollment trend but imagine trying to do that in an environment where the persistent rumor is that they may not even be open next fall and knowing THAT is not due to a drop in enrollment but rather the State’s ineptitude. Many kids are not U of I bound, but can be college bound and the right school in a location that is accessible can be the deciding factor in their futures. Regional public universities are doors of opportunity for lower and middle class students to move themselves up. Eastern Illinois happens to be lucky to host the top-ranked regional public university in the State.
http://www.chicagobusiness.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/storyimage/CG/20150815/ISSUE01/308159989/V2/0/Enrollment-Illinois-public-universities.jpg&maxw=600&q=100&cb=20160209001603&cci_ts=20150814164748
- AnonymousOne - Tuesday, Feb 9, 16 @ 11:32 am:
Sounds like more people unemployed or taking lower wages is the a-one smartest way to get Illinois on track./s Part of a carefully crafted plan, remember. Always think about who is benefiting from this.
- Ryan - Tuesday, Feb 9, 16 @ 11:33 am:
“LOL
It’s a university.
You’d rather they lay off teachers and keep bureaucrats?
Are you nuts?”
Rich, I’m an AP at a university, I’m hardly a bureaucrat. It’s pretty ridiculous to lump us all together in the same category. If I (or my colleagues) weren’t here, I can guarantee you the students I (we) advise would NOT be succeeding in college, nor would they graduate in a timely manner.
- Rich Miller - Tuesday, Feb 9, 16 @ 11:35 am:
=== I can guarantee you the students I (we) advise would NOT be succeeding in college, nor would they graduate in a timely manner. ===
Fair enough, but you can have universities without advisers, and you can’t have universities without teachers.
- Ryan - Tuesday, Feb 9, 16 @ 11:37 am:
“Fair enough, but you can have universities without advisers, and you can’t have universities without teachers.”
HA! then they’d NEVER graduate!
- Downstate - Tuesday, Feb 9, 16 @ 11:38 am:
From a local perspective, EIU turned their back on the regional students and put their marketing efforts toward Chicago.
As a result, area students (those within 60 miles of campus, were attracted to schools like SIU-E and even Indiana schools.
In addition, there were no consequences in the admissions department for successive years of falling enrollment. I think they’ve now gotten the wake-up call that they needed.
- Joe M - Tuesday, Feb 9, 16 @ 11:44 am:
Declining enrollment has certainly hurt schools like EIU. However, declining state support since about 2002 has also been devastating to our state universities, especially the regionals. As state appropriations to state universities drastically decreased, the universities had to keep raising tuition - which further put pressures on enrollment.
- Anonymous - Tuesday, Feb 9, 16 @ 11:44 am:
Of course IBHE didn’t attend any rally or take a position on approp bills. They’re too busy having
“team building” sessions and “art contests” and figuring out “flexible work schedules”. They don’t have time to attend a rally!
- Anon221 - Tuesday, Feb 9, 16 @ 11:50 am:
From the letter- “However, it is also an economic, intellectual and cultural engine for our entire region of Illinois.”
From Anonymous@11:25 am: “Many kids are not U of I bound, but can be college bound and the right school in a location that is accessible can be the deciding factor in their futures. Regional public universities are doors of opportunity for lower and middle class students to move themselves up.”
*****
Just as the Rauner Administration did with the closures of the Illinois State Museum complex sites, they chose to ignore in-depth (beyond their ken???) economics of the regional university system. How many millions of dollars of research funding that helps to augment/offset salaries at these universities have been placed in jeopardy, or simply withdrawn? How many critical networking possibilities have simply been quashed because internships and assistantships have been eliminated for lack of funds or staff to run the programs? How many students, current and potential, are LEAVING Illinois for other states? It’s all been said, by other much better versed than I am, but the numbers (dollars, people, programs) need to be enumerated. Rauner won’t care, but others might.
- fred s - Tuesday, Feb 9, 16 @ 11:57 am:
Anon@11:25 I agree with most of your post. But, what was the administration doing during that time frame to reverse the trend? Based on comments from another poster, it sounds like they put their marketing efforts in Chicagoland and it backfired.
That falls on poor leadership, both at EIU and state leadership.
- Anonymous - Tuesday, Feb 9, 16 @ 12:01 pm:
===While you may think it is, the IBHE isn’t independent of the Governor’s office anymore than any other state agency. They aren’t going to take any positions unless the Governor tells them to.
Translation: There isn’t any true leadership at IBHE and there hasn’t been for quite a number of years. Again, it begs the question WHY does IBHE even exist? Can anybody name anything they have done truly benefits the students in this state?
- Anonymous - Tuesday, Feb 9, 16 @ 12:06 pm:
Fred S. - Short answer. Not enough. Yes, admissions was not moving in the right direction and it went unchecked by the previous president (who was too “nice” to fire or lay off anybody) for too long. There is no way of making excuses on that. Strangely, EIU actually got scolded by some on the higher ed approp committee when they finally let the previous admissions director go despite abysmal numbers. But yes, EIU is trying to re-establish its regional base with regard to enrollment.
- Concernforhighered - Tuesday, Feb 9, 16 @ 12:14 pm:
“Translation: There isn’t any true leadership at IBHE and there hasn’t been for quite a number of years. Again, it begs the question WHY does IBHE even exist? Can anybody name anything they have done truly benefits the students in this state?”
I since a personal vendetta against the IBHE more than trying to contribute worthwhile commentary.
- Anonymous - Tuesday, Feb 9, 16 @ 12:30 pm:
Wait until you see the latest audit for IBHE. Shut it down and spend the money on students.
- Anonymous - Tuesday, Feb 9, 16 @ 1:07 pm:
Dear “Concernforhighered” I don’t think anyone has a personal vendetta against IBHE, or any agency for that matter, but with the state in the situation it is in – basically bankrupt - I believe everybody is looking at where to cut dead weight.
My understanding is that IBHE doesn’t truly contribute anything of value to the universities that couldn’t be handled by ISBE. I think those who have asked why IBHE exists is a fair question. Students are the real ones hurting in this budget impasse, and it would seem that IBHE should be doing anything and everything they can to at least meet the very goals that are on the agency’s website. “charged with leading efforts that ensure the Illinois higher education system (including public, private, and for profit colleges as well as private and vocational schools) are working together to most productively improve Illinois’ quality of life.” Is IBHE doing this? Are the leading the effort? I’m not sure we see that. “Illinois law mandates that we lead in developing the strategic plans that bring these varied sectors together to engage in coordinated action that achieves the “60 by 2025” goal and the other affordability and economic goals in the Public Agenda.” How is IBHE doing this? University has not become more affordable for Illinoians. And with no money being appropriated the cost of college for many is simply out of reach. IBHE is not leading the efforts of anything but are only taking positions the Governor tells them to take. ” the IBHE also is responsible for (a) developing the budget for higher education in Illinois,…” How has IBHE done this? I don’t see that they have.
So no, I don’t see a personal vendetta. I see people frustrated and asking questions about what is truly necessary.
- peace - Tuesday, Feb 9, 16 @ 1:12 pm:
“Fair enough, but you can have universities without advisers, and you can’t have universities without teachers.”
HA! then they’d NEVER graduate!
I graduated from EIU (BS-Industrial Tech) in 1988 and on time. I did not need an adviser because the program was set from many years prior and had not varied. Never talked to my adviser but sure did talk to my teachers.
- wordslinger - Tuesday, Feb 9, 16 @ 1:41 pm:
What’s the ideological rationale behind abandoning universities and community colleges?
I can’t think of one in the traditions of western democracy, although it has been a common practice among some less-than-attractive “isms” in history.
Anybody?
- Ryan - Tuesday, Feb 9, 16 @ 1:49 pm:
“I graduated from EIU (BS-Industrial Tech) in 1988 and on time. I did not need an adviser because the program was set from many years prior and had not varied. Never talked to my adviser but sure did talk to my teachers.”
Good for you! I did the same thing at my school in the mid 90’s. Sadly though, highered has become far more complex due to many factors. And let’s not forget the generational changes of college students. They’re “interesting” to say the least…
- Deep South - Tuesday, Feb 9, 16 @ 2:15 pm:
Universities are much more than “academics.” Always have been. Its the A/P types who manage the Student Union, athletics, intramurals, the Rec Centers, the arenas, the performance centers, speaker series’ etc., services that students want and, for the most part, demand. These are the programs that make universities, well universities. Take ‘em away and you’ve basically community colleges. BORING!
- Joe M - Tuesday, Feb 9, 16 @ 2:37 pm:
== These are the programs that make universities, well universities. Take ‘em away and you’ve basically community colleges.==
Community colleges = 100 and 200 level classes, and vocational classes.
Universities = 100, 200, 300, 400 level and graduate level classes.
Both serve a great purpose, but there is an academic difference.
- Anonymous - Tuesday, Feb 9, 16 @ 3:26 pm:
IBHE makes budget recommendations but they are never followed by the legislature. IBHE expends tons of resources travelling the state to hold budget meetings that produce no outcomes. In fact, IBHE staff do a lot of travelling with nothing to show for it, in state and elsewhere. They approve schools that then get shut down later by either accreditors or the U.S. Department of Education. The data on their website is old and most of it is copied from federal sources. ICCB is seeking changes in legislation so they no longer have to deal with the bureaucracy of IBHE. IBHE’s latest “achievement” is to host meetings on workforce development where they try to take credit for the work of community colleges and ICCB. Look at the history with the OEIG and severance payments to recent Executive Directors and yet they still haven’t learned based on recent events. Fold whatever function is still needed into ICCB or ISBE and do away with IBHE.
- History Prof - Tuesday, Feb 9, 16 @ 3:38 pm:
Cassiopeia @ 10:33 am: “So tenured faculty again are the protected elite.”
Which planet did you say you lived on? The money is in administration. If you fire the teachers, you LOSE revenue. Wake up!
And do think this is a good time to throw your coworkers under the bus? Really? How about we stick together to fight this governor?
- History Prof - Tuesday, Feb 9, 16 @ 3:45 pm:
- Ryan - @ 11:37 am:
“Fair enough, but you can have universities without advisers, and you can’t have universities without teachers.”
HA! then they’d NEVER graduate!
All respect Ryan, when most of graduated from school the list of AP’s was pretty short. And the more of YOU we hire, the bigger the class sizes. Is THAT good?
But ok. Now is not the time for us to fight. How about we concentrate on fighting the Governor?
- Ryan - Tuesday, Feb 9, 16 @ 6:48 pm:
“All respect Ryan, when most of graduated from school the list of AP’s was pretty short. And the more of YOU we hire, the bigger the class sizes. Is THAT good?
But ok. Now is not the time for us to fight. How about we concentrate on fighting the Governor?”
The school I work at still has an average class size of 25 and we still have advisors for every department. So, we’re fine. I’m quite certain faculty would not want to take on advising.
But your right, the fight is with Rauner, not each other.