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The "Crisis of Confidence" series is a multi-year effort by the Tri States Public Radio to document the impact the two-year state budget impasse had on Western Illinois University and the ongoing recovery efforts at WIU. State support for public higher education institutions has been steadily declining in Illinois for more than a decade. But the issue was compounded, during the state's historic two-year budget impasse during Fiscal Years '16 and '17 which left public colleges and universities with little state financial support. At Western Illinois University, that drastic cut in state appropriations resulted in significant budget cuts, employee furloughs, and layoffs.

More Details on Western Illinois University Budget Cuts

Western Illinois University is reducing certain employees' 12-month contracts to 10 or 11-months, some temporary employees won't be returning this fall, and a few other staff members have been let go. The changes went into effect Wednesday, July 1.

“Well over 13 years of declines in state funding have kind of caught up to us,” said Matt Bierman, WIU Budget Director.

“We’ve done everything we can to protect employees all along.  That becomes more and more challenging.”

Some employees were not notified about the change to their contract until last week.  Bierman said Western was waiting for final spending decisions from the state to be released – decisions that are still forthcoming. 

“I’m not sure timing is ever great. It may not have been perfect in this situation but given what’s going on at the state level we did the best we could,” Bierman said.

The cuts are part of WIU’s plan to reduce spending by around $4-million for the fiscal year that begins Wednesday.  Bierman said most of the savings will come through retirements and by not filling open positions. 

He said the cuts listed above will affect roughly 20 workers.  “These particular situations where we have to affect current employees probably save somewhere between half-a-million and a million dollars.”

Bierman said reserves will also help plug the budget gap, but there remains a great deal of uncertainty about what level of state support Western can expect. Governor Bruce Rauner vetoed the higher education budget approved by the Democratic-controlled legislature and the two sides remain at loggerheads over the new state budget even as the state’s new fiscal year gets underway.

Bierman said Western will do what it can to convince politicians in Springfield about the value of higher education and maintaining what’s already in place.

“We will continue to protect employees where we can. We will also continue to protect the educational enterprise and protect students because that’s what we’re here for.”

Changes to DPS

Bierman said WIU is also restructuring its Document Publication Services (DPS) department.

“We’ll still offer some copy services, and we will offer mail services and some pre-mail services. But our design services, our printing press, some editorial stuff will all be eliminated from that particular area,” Bierman said.

He said some of those duties will be shifted to University Relations and the rest will be contracted out.

Bierman said the changes at DPS are not part of the response to likely cuts from the state because it’s not funded through the state.  He said DPS is "its own financial concern for the university" and it’s struggled financially for several years.

“Their balance sheets are not positive and we needed to address that,” he said.

Rich is TSPR's News Director.