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* WIU just announced a ton of layoffs…
132 lay off notices were sent Friday
* 89 were civil service positions (plus nine employees who have had their retirement contract term lengths reduced)
* 2 were Admin positions
* 29 were faculty members
* 12 were Academic Support Personnel […]* Most Admin and ASP personnel, depending on the length of service, will have 6 months notice, but some ASP’s are contractual and their notices span 3-9 months depending on service.
* Unit A (tenured and tenure track) faculty get a full year notice. They will teach the 2019-2020 academic year, and be complete by the end of Spring 2020 semester (May 19, 2020)
* Unit B faculty (non-tenure track) will finish the semester (May 14, 2019).
* WEEK TV…
“As a result of the current budget situation, including decreased enrollment, it is necessary to reduce our expenditures, including position reductions across the University. We have pledged to work with employees to provide career counseling and assistance with employment searches,” said WIU President Jack Thomas in a statement.
The university has struggled with declining enrollment for several years. A last-ditch effort, #BuyIntoWIU, sought to stave off the layoffs.
“Unfortunately, 20 years of state disinvestment and 12 years of unimpeded enrollment decline have brought Western Illinois to the point we are today. In order to avoid a potential catastrophe in the fall when the university may be unable to meet payroll, WIU caused a catastrophe now, the largest layoff in its history,” said Bill Thompson, president of the WIU chapter of the University Professionals of Illinois union. “This announcement is devastating on all fronts. We encourage the university to rediscover its mission and head toward a future that does not include layoffs and all the havoc they will bring to our community. Our union will protect our members’ rights during these layoffs and, as always, help lead the way into the future.”
* From the Illinois Federation of Teachers…
IFT President Dan Montgomery said:
“After years of intentionally starving our public colleges and universities of critical resources in order to push a rejected political agenda, we are finally seeing the fruits of Bruce Rauner’s labor coming to bear. The cuts announced today will be devastating to Western Illinois University. We know that Governor Pritzker and the state legislature recognize the importance of undoing Rauner’s damage and appreciate the recent budget proposal to increase investment in higher education. Unfortunately, this funding won’t come soon enough. We strongly support our members who serve students at WIU and join them in calling for an emergency appropriation to help their community through this difficult chapter. It is critical that Western Illinois University remain strong not only for the faculty and students who call it home, but for the broader region that relies on this vital economic engine.”
UPI President John Miller said:
“For the third time, Western Illinois University has announced layoffs of faculty, staff and employees. These cuts will have a negative impact on WIU and devastate families and the broader communities of western Illinois. We join with more than 4,000 students, supporters, and alumnae who have signed the “Buy Into Western Illinois University” petition to call on Governor Pritzker to quickly appoint a new WIU Board of Trustees and support an emergency appropriation for the University. Emergency funding would mitigate these cuts and begin to undo the harm caused by the chronic underfunding of our public universities over the last two decades. Further, Western Illinois University needs to develop a new vision and direction fulfill its mission as a regional, comprehensive institution where students earn a quality degree and secure a bright future. Our students, communities, and employees deserve nothing less.”
I’ve asked the Pritzker administration for comment.
*** UPDATE *** Pritzker administration…
After years of cuts, the governor has proposed increasing funding for higher education and is working to pass a fair tax so the state can make investments in higher education for years to come. The administration has been in contact with stakeholders like IFT to see how best to address their immediate needs for their members and students.
I’ve asked the IFT for comment.
* Related…
* WIU Program Elimination Review Committee Makes Recommendations: There is a list of 18 academic programs at Western Illinois University being considered for elimination. A report reviewing each of them has been turned over to the administration and decisions are expected soon.
* Effort to allow more college students to unionize gains steam in Springfield
posted by Rich Miller
Friday, Mar 1, 19 @ 1:47 pm
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Interesting article about the budgets at both WIU campuses:
https://www.tspr.org/post/budgetary-tale-two-campuses
Comment by City Zen Friday, Mar 1, 19 @ 1:49 pm
The legacy of Governor Rauner lives on…
Comment by Scamp640 Friday, Mar 1, 19 @ 1:52 pm
WIU’s tuition for in-state students is just shy of $13,000.00 per year.
https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/?id=149772#expenses
Comment by Henry IX Friday, Mar 1, 19 @ 1:55 pm
The KHQA article is in error when it says the last WIU layoffs were in 2016. In June of 2018, 24 faculty were laid off - and 62 more faculty positions of people retiring or who left, were eliminated.
https://www.tspr.org/post/breakdown-62-positions-slated-elimination-wiu
Comment by Joe M Friday, Mar 1, 19 @ 1:56 pm
If WIU’s drop in enrollment has a similar track as EIU, the decreases started around 2006. Rauner took office in 2015.
Comment by Pick a Name Friday, Mar 1, 19 @ 1:56 pm
Emergency funding?
I guess we could skip another pension payment.
Comment by Just Me 2 Friday, Mar 1, 19 @ 1:57 pm
I thought today was a lovely day — until I read this. Rauner is snickering into his wine glass somewhere.
Comment by IllinoisBoi Friday, Mar 1, 19 @ 1:57 pm
“After years of intentionally starving our public colleges and universities…we are finally seeing the fruits of Bruce Rauner’s labor coming to bear.”
SURS contributions:
2008 = $340 million
2018 = $1.6 Billion
Who’s starving whom, Dan?
Comment by City Zen Friday, Mar 1, 19 @ 2:00 pm
This is right-sizing. Less students = employees.
Comment by Josh Friday, Mar 1, 19 @ 2:01 pm
Thomas lied to the WIU community and broke the law, he should go. https://www.tspr.org/post/dark-days-transparency-shared-governance-wiu
Comment by Anonymous Friday, Mar 1, 19 @ 2:02 pm
City Zen, that money didn’t go to the school and it doesn’t support operations. Also, the 2018 number is that much higher because the state was shorting the payments in earlier years.
Comment by Anonymous Friday, Mar 1, 19 @ 2:03 pm
EIU is actually a fairly good comparison–EIU has created a long term marketing plan and is building the ‘brand’ instead of entering into a short term effort that Buy Into WIU suggests. Trying to get students based on a campaign that sounds like it’s to save the institution and not serve the student is a mistake in brand building. While higher education is different from other markets, the brand and reputation effect is still important in trying to attract students.
Yes, there are state government problems and then a whole slew of demographic challenges WIU is facing, but this was not an effective strategy. I would be supportive of a assistance plan from the state, but it has to be predicated on plan to improve the enrollment management efforts.
Comment by ArchPundit Friday, Mar 1, 19 @ 2:04 pm
A reminder that the only areas of Downstate that have experienced population growth in recent years have been anchored by public universities.
Rural America has been declining in population for 100 years. Every technological advance has reduced the amount of labor and support services needed to farm.
Illinois is a large farming state, lot of miles. Downstate regions need these public universities — and robust community colleges — to provide the educated workforce that can attract private capital and sustain those communities.
We can recommit to higher ed as a foundation for economic development in this state, or we can continue to chase our tails with screwball handouts to every grifter that comes along promising to “create jobs.”
Comment by wordslinger Friday, Mar 1, 19 @ 2:06 pm
The WIU mess is complicated — yes, it’s Rauner and particularly years of higher ed underfunding by the GA, but it’s also an inept micromanaging university president whose actions have generated numerous grievances and a BOT that is in utter disarray. Really, there’s no sense in special appropriations unless and until WIU’s problems at the top are resolved. And stand by for possible additional layoffs in June, once the current academic year is over and students have left.
Comment by Flapdoodle Friday, Mar 1, 19 @ 2:22 pm
==that money didn’t go to the school and it doesn’t support operations.==
If the staff is expecting pensions when they retire, pensions are an operational cost. If a professor wouldn’t step foot into a classroom if you took his or her salary/health benefits/pension away, it’s an operational cost.
Pension costs as not separate from the operating budget. The only reason that money doesn’t go to the school, as you say, is because someone else manages the pension system for them. But make no mistake, that’s the cost of doing business in higher ed.
Comment by City Zen Friday, Mar 1, 19 @ 2:22 pm
WIU’s tuition is $284.70/credit hour for new enrolling students. So, $13,000 a year in tuition would equal over 45 credit hours a year. And by the way, that is same tuition rate for every citizen in the US: http://www.wiu.edu/vpas/business_services/tuition/plans/t/undergrad.php
Comment by IBE Friday, Mar 1, 19 @ 2:28 pm
How big is the decline in student population? Of course the school needs to lay off staff.
Comment by Anonymous Friday, Mar 1, 19 @ 2:29 pm
Anon 2:29
About 35%. Most staff reductions up to this point have been through attrition in the past few years. In Dec, 57 took early retirement.
Comment by DownstateR Friday, Mar 1, 19 @ 2:34 pm
- Scamp640 - Friday, Mar 1, 19 @ 1:52 pm:
The legacy of Governor Rauner lives on…
20 years of state disinvestment and 12 years of enrollment decline??? rauner was gov for 20 years?..time to look in the mirror people. the state didnt get this way in the last 4.
Comment by john Friday, Mar 1, 19 @ 2:34 pm
Personally, I think a good way to attract more students would be to pair our traditional university with a publicly funded trade school. We need BOTH types of futures….blue AND white collar.
Comment by 1988 WIU Alumni Friday, Mar 1, 19 @ 2:36 pm
===the state didnt get this way in the last 4.===
He took a hugely serious problem and turned it into a catastrophe. Until you admit that, you’ll never understand the past four years.
Comment by Rich Miller Friday, Mar 1, 19 @ 2:38 pm
==How big is the decline in student population?==
Fall2008 = 10,648 full time students
Fall2018 = 6,113 full time students
A reduction of 42.3%?
http://www.wiu.edu/IRP/enrollments/tse.php
Word has the right take on this. Ag requires fewer & fewer employees. The rural economy is based in large part on jobs in hospitals, prisons, and universities.
Comment by OutHereInTheMiddle Friday, Mar 1, 19 @ 2:50 pm
From the WIU Program Elimination link:
==Western’s administration created the list of 18 programs citing the Illinois Board of Higher Education’s criteria for what qualifies as a low producing program. The administration said these programs have either fewer than 40 majors or fewer than 9 students graduating over a three year period:=
I looked around but did not find a similar list of high producing WIU programs that are highly enrolled and with significant degrees awarded in that similar timeframe. I think that list would be interesting to compare with the “losers”. Can anybody help with this?
Comment by Responsa Friday, Mar 1, 19 @ 2:51 pm
Should have said “the rest of the rural economy”
Comment by OutHereInTheMiddle Friday, Mar 1, 19 @ 2:51 pm
DownstateR at 2:34 — Good points re WIU enrollment decline and past staff/faculty reductions. Today’s layoffs aren’t the first by any means — it’s been a continuing process, often in violation of contractual requirements and arbitration decisions. Everyone knows that university enrollment levels and patterns are shifting, requiring adjustments in staffing levels. But at WIU, administrative decision-making has both exacerbated changes in enrollment levels and failed to respond to them.
Comment by Flapdoodle Friday, Mar 1, 19 @ 2:53 pm
@ Pick a name. There is blame to be placed on both parties for the disinvestment in higher education going back to 2002. Local leadership issues are also an issue. However, the largest declines in enrollment occurred during the impasse when Rauner froze MAP grants and state support for the public universities. Rauner willfully starved the universities and our local elected officials went along with it. They feared Rauner more than they cared for their community and largest employer. You do a disservice to public higher education in this state when you downplay the profoundly negative impact Rauner had on higher education.
Comment by Scamp640 Friday, Mar 1, 19 @ 2:53 pm
Responsa — search “signature programs” on WIU’s site, think that’s the term.
Comment by Flapdoodle Friday, Mar 1, 19 @ 2:54 pm
===He took a hugely serious problem and turned it into a catastrophe. Until you admit that, you’ll never understand the past four years===
Rich,
I agree but the particular situation at WIU was already catastrophic before Rauner took office. Until you admit that, you’ll never understand why it will be the first one closed.
Comment by Rocky’s Horror Show Friday, Mar 1, 19 @ 2:54 pm
Completely agree with Rich at 2:38. Rauner’s legacy will only worsen as folks figure out exactly what he did (or didn’t do).
Comment by El Conquistador Friday, Mar 1, 19 @ 3:05 pm
Thanks for the reply, Flapdoodle. I had already been on the WIU site and then went back on with your search suggestion. I never got more than the full menu list of programs being offered (including the ones being cut) –and couldn’t see anything showing popularity or degree results per program which is what I am interested in.
Comment by Responsa Friday, Mar 1, 19 @ 3:06 pm
Rauner was a disaster but what he did only sped up the timetable for the inevitable. The state was on the brink of a precipice. Rauner provided the final kick that sent it over the edge…in many more areas than higher education.
Comment by Captain Obvious Friday, Mar 1, 19 @ 3:11 pm
Yep. We have some big higher ed problems and Rauner made them disasters. I expect some small private to fail at some point .There have been several in New England. There have been a few public mergers and reorganizations. This being Illinois the politics of the region is not helpful.
Comment by Not a Billionaire Friday, Mar 1, 19 @ 3:14 pm
Rich is right. Rauner took a tough situation and let it slide over four years into a near disaster at WIU. Sadly, as we all know universities downstate represent the engines of regional growth that have a very positive ripple affect across dozens of counties, communities, families.
Comment by West Wing Friday, Mar 1, 19 @ 3:14 pm
Responsa - Their most notable program these days is probably criminal justice/law enforcement. That has a lot of students. As for the rest, I couldn’t really say.
Comment by benniefly2 Friday, Mar 1, 19 @ 3:20 pm
Responsa - This report has more specifics on WIU enrollment:
http://www.wiu.edu/IRP/Fact%20Book%202018_Full.pdf
Comment by City Zen Friday, Mar 1, 19 @ 3:36 pm
Rauner plus the current WIU president spelled nothing but catastrophe. Half of the board recently resigned due to all kinds of problems yet Thomas remains. And he just created a six figure administrator position in his office four days ago. Until he goes and true student marketing begins, and support from Hammond who stood with Rauner, nothing will improve.
Comment by Former Merit Comp Friday, Mar 1, 19 @ 3:46 pm
Thank you City Zen @3:36 pm.
Table 30 on pp. 77 and 78 of your pdf link were what I was looking for. Interesting stuff there that pretty much tells the tale.
Comment by Responsa Friday, Mar 1, 19 @ 4:02 pm
Why in the world should Pritzker do any such thing? Besides the fact that WIU has been poorly run, this is an area of of the state whose own elected officials voted with Rauner to block WIU funding for two years. Then they crowed about doing it. Why should the rest of the state have to bail them out of a problem they themselves helped to exacerbate?
And that’s not even counting the fact that folks in that area didn’t vote for JB, and aren’t going to vote for him next time even if he bails them out of this jam
Comment by Lester Holt’s Mustache Friday, Mar 1, 19 @ 4:28 pm
Programs are being eliminated based on the graduation rate and number of majors without regards to their role in the overall academic picture and number of faculty in a program. An engineering program would seem to need physics. A department with 40 majors is left alone when there are 13 faculty of departments with 2 faculty and 20 majors are decimated.
Comment by Anonymous Sunday, Mar 3, 19 @ 1:45 pm