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Budget signing confirms 8.25-percent cut from SIUC
Equally as powerful as the variety of intense firework displays that lit up the sky across Illinois July 4, were the dynamic cuts confirmed when Gov. Blagojevich approved the budget last week.
Approval of the plan for the 2004 fiscal year took place on July 3, when the governor confirmed $222 million in cuts throughout the state. The news came as no surprise to SIUC officials, who anticipated the signing would occur before the holiday. However, the news was bittersweet for University officials who will now have to deal with $22.5 million in cuts.
"Everybody's glad the fiscal year has started," said Sue Davis, spokeswoman for the University. "Now we have the chance to put our best foot forward and start sorting out all of this."
The sorting out the University must now perform involves dealing with a $17.5 million cut to SIUC as a whole, with an additional $ 5 million cut to healthcare costs.
Although Chancellor Walter Wendler said he learned of the budget signing last week, it was not until early Monday that he became aware of the impact the cuts would have on higher education and SIUC as a whole.
University officials will, throughout the remainder of the week, discuss the most efficient way to deal with the cuts. Wendler said he would prefer to wait until the University has constructed a definitive plan to deal with the reductions before commenting on specifics.
He said it would probably be some time next week before they can officially address the issue of pending layoffs and other repercussions the cuts may have. Despite confirmation of the loss of more than $22.5 million from the University budget, Wendler said he was thankful for the finalization the budget signing provided.
"We're pleased, not as far as the cuts are concerned, but about the clarity [the budget signing] delivers," Wendler said. "We just want to make sure, to the best of our ability, that these cuts don't undermine academic excellence at SIU."
