Illinois’ Public University Problem: NEIU, GSU Presidents Weigh In - Evan Garcia, Chicago Tonight

Illinois legislators have finally passed a budget, but the two-year-plus impasse did not leave the state’s public universities unscathed: faculty and staff were laid off, student enrollment dwindled and bond ratings were downgraded. In March, Northeastern Illinois University announced it would lay off 180 full-time employees to balance out a deficit deepening from lack of state funding during the budget standoff. In a statement released on July 6, the day Gov. Bruce Rauner’s budget package vetoes were overridden by House lawmakers, NEIU’s interim President Richard Helldobler wrote the university “can finally after more than two years refocus its efforts from survival to building and enhancing an exceptional environment for its students.” http://chicagotonight.wttw.com/2017/07/12/illinois-public-university-problem-neiu-gsu-presidents-weigh