Western Illinois University’s administration announced deep cuts on Friday to its faculty and staff on Friday as it continues to fight with a $22 million budget deficit.
On Friday, 57 faculty and 32 staff positions were cut in an effort to cut costs. The 57 faculty are both tenured and non-tenured positions.
Over 100 positions have been eliminated from the school’s future budgeting plans, including two administrative positions. Sixteen faculty and staff positions are being relocated from the Quad Cities campus back to Macomb next year as part of the cost-saving measures.
Tenure tract faculty will be allowed to finish out the current academic year, while non-tenured faculty will be let go at the end of the Fall semester.
Civil service employees were provided 90 days’ notice and Board of Trustee regulations, and contractual agreements were followed in the notice given to academic support professional and administrative employees, according to an announcement from the university.
The announcement also says that WIU Human Resources will offer support to all affected employees, including counseling services, a job fair in the Fall semester, and four Rapid Response sessions over two campuses, where the Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) and the State Universities Retirement System (SURS) will be in attendance to give presentations.
The Illinois Federation of Teachers issued a written statement on Monday condemning the sweeping layoffs, calling them short-sighted that will “inflict lasting damage to students and the Macomb and Moline communities.”
University officials say that realignment of programs and a focus on new revenue streams for the university are also expected over the next several months in order to close the school’s budget shortfall.