A few dozen faculty members from Western Illinois University gathered on the steps of Sherman Hall for a group photo on Friday, the eve of Illinois entering a third fiscal year without a state budget. The gathering was organized in an effort to show solidarity and support for the union's Unit B faculty.
They are the associate faculty who are not tenure track. More than 100 of them have not yet received a teaching contract for the fall semester.
Western administrators have said they are taking a wait-and-see approach to renewing contracts. Meanwhile, in Springfield, state lawmakers continue to debate a budget deal.
The university has not provided a timeline for when associate faculty members should expect to hear if they will be employed in the fall.