U of I bracing for very damaging' cuts, new president says - Chris Dettro, State Journal Register

"We realize the scale of the fiscal situation of the state," Killeen said. "We're going to embrace our responsibility as a major state enterprise — a $5.6 billion enterprise. We want to be known as responsible stewards." Gov. Bruce Rauner has proposed a 31.5 percent cut in higher education funding in the state budget for the fiscal year that begins July 1. That would mean a $209 million reduction for the U of I's three campuses and $387 million for public universities statewide. Killeen, former vice chancellor for research at the State University of New York, said he has a task force looking at options and different scenarios and approaches to what the university can do to reduce expenditures without sacrificing quality. "We're not going to become mediocre," he said. Killeen said he's met with Rauner and legislative leaders and will do so again next week. http://www.sj-r.com/article/20150522/NEWS/150529765