ICCCP Letter

To:       Bruce Rauner, Governor

Michael Madigan, Speaker of the House of Representatives

            John Cullerton, President of the Senate

            Jim Durkin, House Leader      

Christine Radogno, Senate Leader

From:  Thomas R. Ramage, President, Illinois Council of Community College Presidents

            Johan Avendano, Vice President, Illinois Council of Community College Presidents

            Lori Sundberg, Secretary/Treasurer, Illinois Council of Community College Presidents

Date:   November 11, 2016

We write to each of you today to ensure that you are fully aware of the damage that has been and continues to be inflicted on the students and communities that rely on the State’s Community College system.

The lack of a budget over the course of the last two fiscal years has caused hundreds of layoffs of valued staff and faculty, closure of programs, and divestment of services that our system has slowly, dutifully, and methodically built over the last half century. Understand that the ultimate victims of this budget impasse are the students, the families, and the communities that are no longer served as they should be and as they once were. The damage is both real and measurable.

We are at a tipping point. If this impasse continues, the consequence will be profound and lasting. Payrolls will not be met, programs will be closed, staff and faculty will be reduced to mere shells. To be clear, we are far beyond the point of reducing administrative costs, and suspending travel.

Without a reliable and consistent budgeting process, Colleges will close and students will be turned away. We can’t use regulatory relief nor the repeal of unfunded mandates to pay our employees.

We urge cooperation and resolution to this matter as soon as possible.