How much more can IL Universities take???

[Cruise04]

I know a lot of other universities in other states are facing problems but in IL we have been scraped to the bone, given money, then having to turn it back in. We just got a message that we have to give back money based off beginning of the year numbers and we only 6 weeks left in the budget year. We've spent money we were told we could spend and now we are suppose to try and give it back, even though spent, and not cut payroll......

I just don't get it....I just don't get it.

Tuitions have been raised, caps have been put on enrollment, classes have been cut, buildings have been closed.......

 

[dzneelvr]

Can't tell whether you are a student or a university staff member, but welcome to the world of a new governor who needs to get a budget under control that has been out of control for years! And possibly a school budget and spending process that is inefficient.

I'm a parent who will soon be sending my DS and DD off to college and the fact is that they can stay in the same dorm room I did, eat the same food, and study out of the same (ok updated) texts, etc. but I will pay probably 1000% more for the (public university) education than my parents paid for mine over 20 years ago. And there certainly won't be a 1000% increase in their rate of return once they graduate!

It's tough out there--everyone is managing to a budget no matter what industry or service area you are in. This type of budget adjustment happens all the time in the corporate for-profit world, consider yourself fortunate if you're just now experiencing it in 2004!! If you are a student, try one of the Bachelor programs now offered by local community colleges or through the internet. It isn't feasible to pay for the "college experience" when you'll go hugely into debt to do it. The sooner these colleges realize they are jacking up the price so high that they are going to lose students, the better.

 

[Cruise04]

I am a staff member and this is the 4th cut we've taken - two this year (but they gave us back the money from the first cut this year) and then 2 cuts last year and we lost the money from the first cut but ended up getting the 2nd cut money back (well most of it). But when a dept operating budget is under $XXX,XXX and 95 of that is payroll, there isn't much to cut besides services and we are a critical dept on campus.