Faculty leaders brace for staff reductions as budget impasse nears two years - BILL LUKITSCH, LUKE NOZICKA AND ANNA SPOERRE, Daily Egyptian

As Illinois universities face uncertain levels of state funding, some professors have elected to leave for employment elsewhere. “More and more people are considering [leaving] and it’s definitely a rational thing to do,” said Dave Johnson, president of the Faculty Association. “I don’t think you can blame someone.” The number of faculty has dropped proportional to enrollment, Johnson said, predicting there will be fewer than 500 faculty come fall. But, he said, there are still many good faculty staying, and though there might be fewer opportunities, students can still get a good education at SIU. SIU President Randy Dunn in March announced the Carbondale campus would have to cut $30 million from its operating budget. Interim Chancellor Brad Colwell responded with a message to the campus community, saying $10 million of those cuts would come from unfilled positions and would likely result in layoffs. http://dailyegyptian.com/69444/showcase/faculty-leaders-brace-for-staff-reductions-as-budget-impasse-nears-two-years/