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

Budget Update 2.29.2016

Colleagues:

At the close of business today, the Voluntary Separation Program concludes.

The combined volume of retirements and resignations, voluntary separations, expense controls offered by employee groups, and other cost-savings or revenue enhancements have done the job. We are within $10,000 of a balanced budget for the next fiscal year and will not need to consider any reductions-in-force or non-renewal of contracts at this time.

However, the way we go about accomplishing our mission is still severely impaired.

We are fewer in number (or will be by July 2016) by some 46 employees.  In addition, there remain 14 vacant “mission-critical” positions that must be refilled and that process will proceed very slowly. All of our spending constraints that were in place this past year will continue, including restricted travel, delays in refilling vacancies, elimination of overtime, and less reliance on student and hourly work.  

The state budget impasse is still unresolved and we have no reliable information as to when it might be resolved.  Our fiscal status will be monitored carefully through the summer and into the fall semester as the state situation evolves, enrollment trends become apparent, and health-care costs are better understood. In other words, this may be a temporary reprieve.

What follows are updated numbers that I shared with you last week:

Retirement/Resignations	$1,740,865
Voluntary Separations	$1,278,029
Vacancies to be Refilled	-$747,820
Cost savings/revenue enhancements	$1,249,800
RIF & Non-Renewal of contracts	$0
Total	$3,520,874.00
Budget Goal	-$3,530,562.00
Balance	-$9,688.00

Many people worked very hard to get to this outcome. I would like to thank Union Leadership as well as faculty, staff, and administration that participated in getting us to this point.

I continue to be proud to be a part of this College.

Illinois Higher Ed Coalition - Media Updates

You will find a news feed developed by the Illinois Higher Education Coalition that is updated automatically. If you want the latest information from around the State of Illinois, this is and excellent resource.

https://ilhigheredcoalition.wordpress.com

Budget Update

Colleagues:

I have been talking with several groups (PCA, Faculty Forum, etc.) about the status of the State budget as well as our own since the Board of Trustees met last week. 

Trustees approved (4 yes, 1 no, and 1 “present”) increasing in-district tuition and fees by 11.7% over last year. This is twice the amount we typically see in a normal year. We have projected a budget for the next fiscal year that assumes we will receive only 50% in projected state funding; credit hour grants and equalization. We have factored in tuition increases that assume flat enrollment. There remains a $3,530,562 projected deficit.

To date, there is $1,740,865 in salary and benefit savings due to retirements and resignations.

The salary and benefit savings realized through the Voluntary Separation Program is $1,091,561 as of this morning.

There is an additional $923,000.00 in expense reductions and revenue enhancements projected and expected.

The combined $2,832,426 in retirements, resignations, and voluntary separations is offset by the fact that we will need to refill $790,909 in salaries and benefits to fund positions that must be refilled as they are critical to the ongoing operation of the College.

R/R	$1,740,865
VSP	$1,091,561
Other	$923,000
Refill	-$790,909
RIF	$566,989
Total	$3,531,506
Budget Goal	-$3,530,562
Balance	$944

The work that remains is an additional $566,989 in personnel reductions (reductions in force or non-renewal of contracts) that will begin shortly after the VSP program concludes on February 29^th in order to balance next year’s budget.

This represents approximately 9 positions across the College that must be eliminated in order to balance the budget next year and beyond. I would caution that these numbers are subject to change; however, this is where we are as of 10 a.m. on 2.25.2016.

I regret that it has come to this. We began this fiscal year with 492 full-time employees and will begin the next with 445. This budget impasse has cost us 47 valued positions and colleagues despite the fact that we all have worked very hard to reduce expenditures over the past few years. There is nothing happening in the political process that leads me to believe that a solution is imminent.

Despite all of the bad news, Parkland College has cut no program nor any services that affect our students. This is a remarkable accomplishment. I anticipate continuing to work toward zero expectations in state funding over the next few years as to avoid this sort of disruption to our mission.

I will continue to communicate as much information as I can over the next few weeks as this process unfolds. Please do not hesitate to contact me directly with questions.

Fiscal Year	FT Employees
FY2017	441
FY2016	486
FY2015	492
FY2014	?
FY2013	488
FY2012	492
FY2011	486
FY2010	480
FY2009	473
FY2008	474
FY2007	476
FY2006	477
FY2005	485
FY2004	497
FY2003	496

	FY2017	FY2016	Difference	Percentage
Admin	32	43	-11	-26%
Confidential	22	23	-1	-4%
PAE	183	189	-6	-3%
PSS	192	219	-27	-12%
Public Safety	12	12	0	0%
			-45

30898

WIU Budget Cuts

Western Illinois University to Cut $20 Million

February 26, 2016

MACOMB, IL -- As a result of the budget impasse and probable reductions to state appropriated funding for higher education, Western Illinois University President Jack Thomas announced today (Friday, Feb. 26) the University plans to cut $20 million over the next two fiscal years (Fiscal Year 2017 and 2018).

Various strategies to conserve resources will be implemented in Fiscal Year 2017 including reducing contracts from 12 to 11 or 10 months for select administrative positions; closing and/or combining select offices/units; reducing 100 personnel (faculty and staff) across divisions; implementing a hiring freeze (effective immediately); and reducing the hours of various offices/units.

"We are making decisions that will preserve the educational enterprise," Thomas said.

To date, for Fiscal Year 2016, the University has made appropriated budget reductions of approximately $5 million. However, in an effort to meet operational expenditures for July and August, the institution plans to further reduce its FY'16 expenses by an additional $4 million by June 30. Without a state budget and additional reductions across divisions, payroll obligations will be difficult to meet for July and August.

As part of the immediate cost-saving reductions for FY'16, the University will limit spending to essential needs only and travel is restricted. In addition, mandatory furloughs will be implemented for all non-negotiated personnel (both administrative/non-academic and civil service personnel not covered by unions) beginning April 1. Full details regarding the furlough program will be released next week.

"Because there is not a present path toward ending the budget impasse, we must move forward with plans to put furloughs into place for non-negotiated personnel. Additionally, we have upcoming contractual salary increases scheduled with collective bargaining units, and thus, we must move forward with further FY'17 reductions to protect our ability to implement these increases," Thomas said. "We must brace for the difficult times ahead. We must protect the cash resources of the University in order to continue to provide services to our students and prepare for Fall 2016.

"Without these reductions, we risk jeopardizing the entire enterprise. Furloughs and reductions in personnel and programs are necessary to protect the overall University and this community. We are committed to protecting as many jobs as possible," he explained. "We will continue to do what is best for this institution to ensure a strong and viable university that exists to serve students and its host communities for decades to come. Our hope is our governmental leaders will end this unprecedented impasse and recognize that our public universities need our state funds to operate and continue to support our students."

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