Logan Announces layoffs

John A. Logan College Board approves layoffs

Sarah Halasz Graham 

March 3, 2016

CARTERVILLE -- After more than four hours of deliberation, the John A. Logan Board of Trustees approved 55 faculty and staff layoffs.

The trustees voted in favor of the layoffs with a 7-1 vote, the lone dissenting vote belonging to student trustee Brandi Husch.

More than 300 people packed the Carterville-based college’s O’Neil Auditorium during the marathon meeting. After all the seats were filled, attendees lined up against the wall and overflowed into the foyer outside.

Board members heard comments from more than three dozen students, former students, faculty, staffers and community members, many of whom used their 3 to 5 minutes at the mic to advocate for the educators who changed their lives -- and whose jobs hang in the balance.

Some speakers welled up as they recalled transformative moments and advocated for threatened programs. Other speakers’ words inspired standing ovations and boisterous applause from onlookers.

Many used their time to call out college leaders for what faculty member Kathleen Carl described as a “short-sighted and ill-conceived plan” to eliminate 38 percent of the college’s full-time instructors, many of them long-time, tenured faculty with deep roots at the college.

Full-time faculty members make up 35 of the 55 employees whose jobs were at risk.

“Are we a sports facility or are we an education facility?” said Lauren Horrell, a first-year dental assistant student, causing audience members to rise in a standing ovation.

Interim President Ron House has said about $300,000 in cuts are possible for the athletics department.

Horrell and others also questioned why the board is not considering cutting programs at the Community Health and Education Complex, a physical education facility that has run a deficit in recent years.

“I beg of you to try to save money from other areas,” Horrell added. “It is definitely not impossible. Please, do not ruin other dreams.”

College administrators recommended the mass layoffs in order to shore up a $7 million budget gap created, they said, by budget stalemate in Springfield, which has left Illinois public colleges and universities without state funding for more than eight months.

“I wish that the governor and the speaker of the House and the president of Senate were sitting at this table tonight having to make this decision,” interim President Ron House said before the comments section. “It might give them a different perspective on this bullying match” they’re engaged in.

For Michael Dunn, an alumnus whose children have attended JALC, such drastic reductions in force will leave the college irreversibly impacted.

“How can this ship continue to sail if you throw overboard your most valuable crew members?” Dunn said.

Asked if administrators will replace full-time faculty with less expensive term, or part-time instructors, House said they will on a “temporary basis.” Some speakers questioned the wisdom of that decision.

“I will gladly take my grade point average and my money to a school that can give me” better opportunities, said a second-year student who had planned to re-enroll at JALC next year but has since changed her mind. “I don’t want to sit in class with part-time faculty who I’m not going to learn anything from.”

sarah.graham@thesouthern.com

618-351-5076

@SHalaszGraham​

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Kishwaukee Announces layoffs

Kishwaukee College board OKs more than 2 dozen layoffs

Published: Tuesday, March 8, 2016 10:44 p.m. CST

By RHONDA GILLESPIE - rgillespie@shawmedia.com

MALTA – Friday will be the last day for more than two dozen Kishwaukee College employees, after trustees voted unanimously to approve a layoff plan to help the college plug an anticipated budget shortfall.

“It’s a sad day,” said Robert Johnson, chairman of the board of trustees, after all eight trustees said yes Tuesday to the reduction plan. “It’s an unfortunate occurrence. I don’t think anything like this has ever happened at Kishwaukee College.”

The college announced last month that it planned to cut its work force for fiscal 2017 – which starts July 1 – because of declining enrollment and because the college only expects to receive half of the state aid it previously budgeted for.

College President Laurie Borowicz presented at the February board meeting a budget plan for fiscal 2017 that included a $3.8 million deficit. That includes a 50 percent reduction in general state aid, to $2.5 million. The college has not received any of the $5 million it expected in state aid payments this fiscal year.

“This is unprecedented,” Borowicz said at Tuesday’s meeting. She said legislators have predicted it could be January before schools such as Kishwaukee College receive any state aid.

In two days, the college will let go of one faculty member – who isn’t a classroom teacher and 11 support staff members. The nonunion workers to be laid off include 10 part-time workers. Also part of the cuts was Michele Bolden, who served as dean of workforce development and continuing education, and Mike Wackt, who was head of the college’s wellness center.

Borowicz said Bolden and Wackt left last month.

“This is hard. This is a sad night,” Borowicz said after Tuesday’s meeting. “Is it hitting home? Are we affecting people? Yes. ... I know how painful this process is.”

College spokeswoman Kayte Hamel said the layoffs would be effective Friday, but the 24 people affected would continue to get paychecks through June 30. The move, she said, was part of the commitment the college made last fall to not have job losses before the end of fiscal 2016.

The college expects to save $1 million with the layoffs and $1.1 million with not filling other vacant positions. The austerity plan also calls for working to increase revenues by $1.2 million, said Borowicz.

She told trustees at the February meeting that the college had projected a 6.5 percent decrease in enrollment this school year, but actually experienced an 8.8 percent one. That translated to a $275,000 loss in tuition and fees revenue.

Borowicz, who started in January, said the community college has already dipped into its savings, spending $4.4 million of the $6 million it had at the start of the fiscal year.

“It’s too bad the folks we sent to Springfield can’t figure out how to manage the state’s finances,” Johnson said.

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SIU Announces layoffs

SIU announces 180 potential layoffs, broad cuts to programs, services

Sarah Halasz Graham

March 9, 2016

 

CARBONDALE — Southern Illinois University will lose 180 faculty members and staffers and reduce or eliminate support for a bevy of programs and services if Gov. Bruce Rauner’s proposed 20 percent cut to public higher education holds muster in fiscal year 2017.

President Randy Dunn announced the potential cost reductions in an email to employees Wednesday afternoon.

In total, cuts to the Carbondale campus amount to $22.86 million. The SIU system would see $46.54 million in reductions and a total loss of 481 positions, not including student jobs and graduate assistantships.

In addition to the 180 layoffs, which amount to a $5.5 million savings, university officials also would:

• Eliminate academic programs and reduce the number of classes offered by 400. That decrease in options, administrators note, could increase the time it takes students to graduate

• Eliminate more than 300 student jobs, including on-campus jobs and assistantships for graduate students. The cuts comprise 7 percent of existing student employment opportunities

• Merge four colleges into two, eliminating two deans and support staffers in the process

• Cut men’s and women’s tennis

• Reduce hours at Morris Library, closing the building on Saturday and reducing journal acquisitions by 40 percent

• Reduce funding for counseling services, retention efforts and programs that benefit underserved populations

• Reduce state support of WSIU-TV to the tune of nearly $200,000

• Eliminate state funding for Touch of Nature, University Press, University Museum and the Center for Dewey Studies

• Reduce funding by nearly $900,000 for student research opportunities, including less support for 23 research centers and institutes

Administrators have not yet identified which employees specifically would be laid off. That will require a review of teaching loads for tenured and tenure-track faculty.

Dunn noted SIU already has saved more than $4 million by not filling 80 positions left vacant this year.

If lawmakers fail to pass an FY17 budget by Dec. 31, the university can expect $5.72 million in additional cuts, including elimination of all state support to the School of Law and to the vice chancellor for development and alumni relations.

One-third of the School of Law’s budget is derived from state support. Eliminating those funds from the vice chancellor’s office could result in the loss of 50 additional jobs. Administrators warned private support for SIU may wane if that office’s size is diminished.

sarah.graham@thesouthern.com

618-351-5076

@SHalaszGraham

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More layoffs

John A. Logan employees receive notice of impending layoffs by rkprsmedia (Source: KFVS)

Employee notice (Source: Angela Calcaterra) CARTERVILLE, IL (KFVS) - Dozens of tenured faculty, non-tenured faculty and staff members at John A. Logan College in Carterville received notice on Monday, Feb. 29 their jobs were on the chopping block. The earliest any of approximately 55 layoffs will be finalized will be Wednesday, March 2nd at a special trustee meeting, according to the meeting's agenda. John A. Logan College history professor David Cochran and his wife Angela Calcaterra both received letters Monday telling them they will be recommended for dismissal at the special meeting. The couple boasts a collective 33 years at the college. "To me that is the heart and soul of the college." Cochran said in reference to the employees of the college. "To me, I don't think the administration and board of trustees are thinking this through. [...] To me, this is going to do damage to the college for far into the future." The letter goes on to say that employees might be called back to their positions should the financial situation of the college improve. College President Ronald House said in the notice the actions are "A direct result of the failure of the state of Illinois to pass a budget." The state is now facing its eighth month without a budget. A college spokesman said House is preparing more detailed comments which are expected to be released within the following week. Download the KFVS News app: iPhone | Android Copyright 2016 KFVS. All rights reserved. This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service - if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read the FAQ at http://ift.tt/jcXqJW. from illinois county - Bing News http://ift.tt/1XXzzHT via IFTTT rkprsmedia | March 1, 2016 at 12:39 pm | Tags: 020-ISTL HL, 055-Pol HL, 070-Coll HL, 081-Adv HL, 700-HE Coalition, 701-HE Coalition Email, Feedly, IFTTT, Recently Read, Saved for Later | Categories: Uncategorized | URL: http://wp.me/p7bnqx-dW Comment    See all comments