CSU Faculty Voice: Stop-Gap Funding: Obviously Better Than Nothing.

Friday, April 22, 2016

Stop-Gap Funding: Obviously Better Than Nothing.

Today the Illinois State Legislature passed legislation that provides about three months of funding to the embattled state public universities. While the infusion of cash is indeed welcome, this timid measure hardly solves the public higher education funding crisis in Illinois. Here are some of the amounts earmarked for various state schools:

CSU gets $20.1 million (2015 appropriation $39.7 million)
GSU gets $6.974 million (2015 approp $23.9 million)
NEIU gets $10.7 million (2015 approp $36.9 million)
EIU gets $12.5 million (2015 approp $42.9 million)
WIU gets $14.9 million (2015 approp $56.8 million)

All the other state universities got similar proportionate appropriation reductions. As you can see, this is nothing more than a reprieve, no one got anywhere near their necessary funding. Although this legislation may provide some temporary relief, the struggle for adequate funding for public higher education in Illinois is hardly over.

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Thanks to Haki Madhabuti

"1. He/she must be a scholar of national note, with significant peer review publications and books in his or her field. There must be no doubt as to his/her standing in the community of scholars. This would also include a history of the candidate’s participation in the appropriate professional organizations.

2. He/she must have served with distinction as the administrative head of a major unit within an institution of higher learning or at the important position of Provost and/or Dean. Of course, prior service at the presidential level is preferred.

3. He/she must have a documented history of raising significant monies from the private and public sectors. At most major and research one universities it is not unusual to expect the president to come with a plan to raise in excess of half a billion dollars or more in the first few years.

4. The prospective president must have a consensus buy-in from the faculty, students, administration and staff, therefore, arriving with a unity mandate to lead by joining a University community that has bought into his or her vision for the future."

From an open letter to the CSU Community, 2009.