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Recision squeezes Illinois universities

Illinois universities struggled to stay within tight budgets for the last six weeks of the fiscal year after Gov. Rod Blagojevich forced them in May to return the last 2 percent of their state appropriations. Like all other state universities, SIUC had to feel the crunch.

For SIUC and other state universities, a tight budget means putting off building maintenance and equipment purchases until the next fiscal year.

University Chancellor Walter Wendler said building maintenance and equipment purchases represent some of the only options available for cutting funds.

Melanie Magara, assistant vice president for public affairs at Northern Illinois University, said their state appropriation shrank by $40 million over the last three years while applications for admission increased by 20 percent over the same period.

"There is a tipping point, and we've reached it," Magara said. "We have to balance academic quality against the number of students wanting admission."

John Maguire, spokesman for Western Illinois University, said the summer is typically when universities try to do routine annual maintenance such as roof repair and carpet and window replacements because there are fewer students on campus.

"Having less money at this time of year makes it more difficult to accomplish things," Maguire said.

The situation is further complicated by the state budget standoff, Maguire added.

"It's hard to put things off until the next fiscal year if we don't have the budget," Maguire said.

In some cases, budget constraints force administrators through a triage process, in which the greatest needs are addressed and others ignored, Maguire said. WIU decided to put off some maintenance projects like roofing and heating ventilation and cooling repair.

"Sometimes, instead of repairing all the bad roofs, you just have to pick the worst one and fix that," Maguire said.

Magara said NIU has resorted to some creative measures in the effort to forestall building maintenance.

"The only building maintenance we have been doing is safety-related or mandated projects. Some building maintenance has consisted of purchasing buckets to catch the drips [when it rains]," Magara said.

No faculty or staff have been laid off at NIU, but more than 150 positions were left unfilled, Magara said.

"We monitor academic quality, but we may have to consider other measures, such as more adjunct faculty, larger class sizes and the outright elimination of some classes," Magara said.

Jim Shonkwiler, director of budgets at Eastern Illinois University, said increasing class size is not a viable option there.

"We are at the maximum now," Shonkwiler said. "Our physical plant was constructed at a time when universities in Illinois were on the quarter system, which meant smaller classroom facilities."

EIU's state appropriation shrank by $11 million over the past three years, Shonkwiler said.

Like many universities, EIU left vacated positions unfilled, resulting in fewer in-house service personnel like roofers, plumbers and painters. Some academic positions also remain vacant, such as lab assistants and secretarial staff. EIU reduced fall enrollment by 200 students because of lost faculty that haven't been replaced, Shonkwiler said.

WIU is no exception.

"We have had to leave some positions open in non-academic areas," Maguire said. "Our director of publications departed recently, and his position will remain unfilled indefinitely, maybe permanently. We may only hire two building services workers to replace the four that we expect to retire this year, so the work will have to be spread differently."

Even in the face of short-term budget difficulties, Illinois universities are still focused on their long-term goals.

For NIU, that means hiring and retaining quality faculty.

"Salaries are the number one goal of the president," Magara said. "We want to attract star staff. We are a major research university and we do a lot of applied research and public service in the Chicago region."

Magara added that NIU managed a 3-percent increase in faculty and staff salaries in the last fiscal year. There was no increase the previous year.

Maguire said WIU's long-term goals include an expansion of operations in the Quad Cities.

"Deere & Company in Moline gave us 20 acres and a tech center building on the river, which gives us an opportunity to expand our services to Quad Cities residents. We're seeking state funds to get these facilities renovated," Maguire said.

Decreases in state funding usually mean increases in tuition and fees. The uncertainty surrounding the budget for the coming fiscal year complicates matters even further.

"Higher education shouldn't be left out of plans to preserve, protect, and support education. Eighty percent of jobs being created require a college degree," Magara said.