Tuesday, June 7, 2016

Letter from Western Illinois President Jack Thomas - WIU

Western's ongoing fiscally conservative practices have enabled us to continue operations during the budget impasse. Unfortunately, without adequate state support, it simply has not been enough to sustain operations without requiring reductions in the form of furloughs, pay reductions, and layoffs, as well as hiring freezes, spending limits, and other cost-saving strategies. These measures have allowed us to continue to operate and focus on our mission, which is to serve our students. Without a state budget and funding for public higher education, we will preserve our resources, which may include extending the current cost reduction measures and making even more difficult decisions. To maintain a healthy Illinois public higher education system, the budget impasse and further reductions in higher education appropriations cannot continue. While we greatly appreciate the stop-gap funding that was received in April, it was not enough to maintain ongoing daily operations. http://www.wiu.edu/news/newsrelease.php?release_id=13697