WIU faculty cuts affect staff, students, communities

UPDATE : Sen. Mike Halpin emailed his statement on the layoffs to Our Quad Cities News.

“I am disappointed to learn of the painful cuts happening at Western Illinois University. WIU is a major employer in my district and has provided high-quality education to thousands for many years, and these cuts undoubtedly will make maintaining those standards of excellence that much more difficult,” State Sen. Mike Halpin, D-Rock Island, said in a statement.

“All of our Illinois colleges and universities, both public and private, are facing very challenging times as student needs change. As Chairman of the Illinois Senate Higher Education Committee, I am committed to doing everything possible to help increase funding for our colleges and universities, to ensure they drive our economic and educational success for the short term and long term. We have to address this challenge together.”

Moline Mayor Sangeetha Rayapati emailed this statement on the layoffs.

“While the QC region is reeling from recent layoffs in the private sector, it is unfortunate that there will also be layoffs in the public sector at WIU.  After speaking with leaders from the school, it’s clear that much needed fiscal responsibility is coming to their plans for the future of the institution.  Many midwestern colleges have had to make difficult decisions in order to weather the variables that have led to tough times, including a demographic cliff related to the availability of traditional college-aged students.  We will work to be resilient in the face of these difficult decisions for our partners. I’m thankful for the open communication today from Interim Pres. Mindrup about their upcoming decisions.”

EARLIER : Western Illinois University is among other area employers who are cutting staff.

The college laid off 35 faculty members earlier this summer and more cutbacks are expected after an emergency Board of Trustees (BoT) meeting on August 6. Merrill Cole, professor of English and the president of the WIU Chapter of the University Professionals of Illinois (UPI), Local 4100, spoke with Our Quad Cities News via Zoom to discuss the potential impacts of another round of layoffs at the college.

“The administrative rationale for why they’re doing, what they’re doing keeps changing,” said Cole. “I do not have an insider insight into what they’re doing but I can tell you that we are very frustrated with what appears to be a constantly shifting rationale, constantly shifting numbers, shifting objectives and what appears to be no real plans to grow WIU in the future.”

“Doing this to our students is horrible; we shouldn’t be doing this. WIU has a very long track record of lifting up students, especially students from underprivileged and marginalized backgrounds. I want that record to continue. I want to be there for my students. I think my faculty and my academic professionals feel the same way.”

The cutbacks are causing stress among staff members, Cole said. “People are terrorized, to put it bluntly. This is no way to start the school year and we urge the administration and we urge the BOT (Board of Trustees) to stop before more damage and perhaps irreparable damage is done.”

“We’ve already had a round of layoffs this summer where 35 of our instructors, people who are not on the tenure line, got laid off. Every other instructor just about at the university, besides a few select programs that are run by instructors, could be on the chopping block. The union doesn’t know but we are concerned. We’ve heard figures ranging up to 100 of our tenure line, including tenured faculty, perhaps going under the axe. The administration is not being clear about what’s going to happen so again like when I use the verb ‘terrorized,’ I don’t think I’m exaggerating.”

Students will also feel the effects of fewer staff members. “I’ve heard of classes being cancelled, of class sizes being increased. None of this is good for our students and none of it is good for our faculty, and honestly, none of it is good for the communities that we serve. We are a major economic engine in west central Illinois and to damage us means to damage everyone.” Majors at the college could be eliminated due to the cutbacks.

A lack of funding appears to be the issue. “I think the bottom line is the State of Illinois has not adequately funded us, so I would encourage everyone to contact their elected representatives, including the governor’s office, to let them know that WIU is in dire shape. I don’t want to make it sound like I’m against the BOT and the administration. I’m not. They’re dealing with a very difficult situation and that situation really comes down to terrible underfunding.”

WIU released a statement from Alisha Looney, Interim Assistant Vice President, University Communications, Marketing & Media Relationsabout the staffing cuts. The statement says:

“Like many institutions across the country, Western Illinois University is adapting institutional expenditures, operations, services, and staffing to reflect the changing population and student needs. In an ongoing commitment to achieving fiscal stability 35 Unit B faculty contract non-renewals were announced earlier this summer, and additional layoffs are being identified and expected to take place shortly after an Aug. 6 board meeting to address the remaining deficit. WIU has implemented a number of cost saving measures over the past months, and as a result of these efforts, WIU will be positioned to evolve and innovate by attracting new markets of students, increasing retention and transfer focus, and responding to the educational workforce development needs of our region and beyond.”

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