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* Tribune editorial on Western Illinois University layoffs…
In recent days. Western has announced two big layoffs. On Friday, the school announced it was eliminating 89 positions, including 57 nontenured faculty members and 32 staffers. That came after some 35 faculty roles had been nixed, or “not renewed,” last month. Adding to that is a hiring freeze, the disappearance of several vacant positions, a Quad Cities pullback and all the other types of things organizations typically do when they are in crisis.
At the end of all this, we reckon, Western’s faculty will look a lot grayer. Not ideal. Students need a mix.
Why is this happening? It’s not complicated. Student enrollment at Western has fallen off the proverbial cliff.
Between 2010 and 2014, the number of students at the school hovered around 12,000. But then it took a dive over several years. […]
Why did enrollment fall off?
* A little history…
See that red box? That’s Gov. Bruce Rauner’s term in office. You know, the same Gov. Rauner the Tribune editorial board incessantly cheered throughout the budget impasse. Parents and students believed that the directionals were near extinction during that crisis. And those schools just haven’t recovered since.
So, as the kids say…
* Yes, it wasn’t a good situation to begin with, and other things are currently playing a role in the continued decline (including high tuition). But like everything else, Rauner turned a big problem into an existential crisis. And building back from that disaster is gonna take a very long time.
posted by Rich Miller
Tuesday, Aug 13, 24 @ 1:42 pm
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Back in 2018 my son and I visited WIU to see about the school. It looked pretty dull and worn then. He wanted to run track for them and CC. I am so glad he got into ISU although he was not able to run track and CC way better school and outcome. My memory of it certainly matches what I am reading.
Comment by clec dcn Tuesday, Aug 13, 24 @ 1:59 pm
WIU has great signature programs. Law enforcement, biology, forensic chemistry, supply chain management, accounting, agriculture and precision agriculture, cybersecurity, and performing arts. However, it can’t be all things to all people. It must specialize. This will be the way forward for the directionals in Illinois.
Moreover, across the board funding increases in higher ed must be more thoughtful. The new funding formula proposal is a start). The University of Illinois does not need the same percentage increase as the directionals. Half a percent of UoI’s appropriation reallocated to Western would allow for growth and serve as a draw for students from Missouri and Iowa to come to Illinois and the region. Same can be said of all the directionals.
Comment by Mr. Middleground Tuesday, Aug 13, 24 @ 2:17 pm
I take comfort in the fact that all the money in the world could not buy Mr. Rauner the respect and admiration of the people of Illinois.
Comment by Three Dimensional Checkers Tuesday, Aug 13, 24 @ 2:18 pm
It looks like Eastern has been aggressive in dual enrollment which has helped as has a strong marketing effort. Interestingly, Eastern has the strongest Dual Credit/Enrollment of all of the 4 years. It doesn’t solve all of the problems, but it’s a great way to market to students and keep classes full.
Comment by ArchPundit Tuesday, Aug 13, 24 @ 2:20 pm
Trib Editorial Board: The thing we wanted all along is backfiring spectacularly as expected. But who is really to blame?
Comment by TJ Tuesday, Aug 13, 24 @ 2:34 pm
If you look at the racial breakdown of WIU enrollment today vs 15 years ago, you’ll see white student enrollment has dropped off a cliff. It’s 50-60% lower. The other races are down marginally and international students are way up, but white students are overwhelmingly choosing to go elsewhere. Perhaps being poached by Iowa schools.
Comment by City Zen Tuesday, Aug 13, 24 @ 2:52 pm
Rauner didn’t cause this. Demographics and population loss caused this.
Like when CPS had to close all those schools a few years back.
Comment by Frosty Tuesday, Aug 13, 24 @ 3:25 pm
- Rauner didn’t cause this. -
Yes, he did.
Comment by Dotnonymous x Tuesday, Aug 13, 24 @ 3:36 pm
Frosty, the Rauner years were devastating for Illinois public universities. Many are still trying to recover from two years without state support.
Comment by Chicago Voter Tuesday, Aug 13, 24 @ 3:56 pm
== Rauner didn’t cause this. Demographics and population loss caused this. ==
Demographics and population loss did not cause a decline of nearly 50% in enrollment across the board at WIU since 2005. Unless you’re suggesting that the State’s population declined by 50% since 2005, which is ludicrous.
The damage done to the public directionals during the Impasse Administration is incalculable, but the results are evident just by driving through their communities.
Kudos to Eastern and, to a lesser extent, Southern for
Comment by thunderspirit Tuesday, Aug 13, 24 @ 4:26 pm
But the state is spending $100 million of covid emergency money to build the Performing Arts Center on the WIU campus. Gonna be a white elephant. Maybe the money could have been better spent.
Comment by Trying to be Rational Tuesday, Aug 13, 24 @ 4:55 pm
I never thoughts I’d see an “I Think You Should Leave” reference on CapFax, what a day.
Comment by Treefiddy Tuesday, Aug 13, 24 @ 5:12 pm
== But the state is spending $100 million of covid emergency money==
This is false. The Center for Performing Arts is a capital appropriation paid for with capital funds not associated with Covid and designated in the 2018 capital bill.
Comment by Mr. Middleground Tuesday, Aug 13, 24 @ 5:33 pm
Perhaps you all should look more closely at the graph provided. WIU started its descent in 2007, then accelerated in 2012. Sure, it entered the freeway during the Rauner years, but the stage was set and the snowball started rolling downhill years before that during the Blago and Quinn years.
Comment by ESR Tuesday, Aug 13, 24 @ 7:52 pm
So, what you’re saying, ESR, is Rauner turned a big problem into an existential crisis. Is that about right?
Comment by Socially DIstant Watcher Tuesday, Aug 13, 24 @ 8:09 pm
SIUC, ImO, has only started the reversal of its decline. I pray, it can continue. but I truly believe, less and less young folks will be going to 4 yr college. maybe it’s time to consolidate.
Comment by Blue Dog Tuesday, Aug 13, 24 @ 8:52 pm
I attended WIU in the early aughts. I noticed a lot of positive expansions in educational offerings. I also noticed unnecessary bloating in costly administrative positions (increase in assistant and associate Vice President titles).
Population: My impression anecdotally was that there was a mix of students from central Illinois and the Chicago suburbs. I don’t know what the actual population data would say.
Context for the performing arts center: Over 20 years ago, the WIU Student Government Association’s Student Senate passed a resolution calling for a performing arts center to be built, and students advocated for it on lobby days.
Comment by WIUgrad Tuesday, Aug 13, 24 @ 11:08 pm
I graduated from a large Chicago HS in the mid 80’s. My senior class was about 475. I cannot think of one kid—not one—who went to Western. Mid 80’s.
Comment by Eire17 Wednesday, Aug 14, 24 @ 7:17 am