Trustees have voted to cut more than 40 teaching jobs at Western Illinois University.
It's part of drastic, across-the board cuts designed to save the campus more than $7 million.
"These actions are like shouting from a megaphone that academic quality isn't important at Western Illinois University," said Assistant Professor Sherry Lindquist, who teaches Art History.
The budget reduction was approved by trustees Monday, January 25, 2016; it means approximately 43 faculty jobs will be eliminated in the year following the 2016 spring semester.
Some people who attended the meeting held signs and spoke publicly to demonstrate against the cuts.
"It is management, not leadership, that has brought WIU to this point," said Professor Bill Thompson, who also serves as UPI President at WIU.
University officials have repeatedly placed the blame squarely on the lack of funding from the State of Illinois, because the legislature still has not passed a budget for the fiscal year that began in July 2016.
The campus is also dealing with unfunded mandates and long-term declining enrollment.
"The tough decisions have to be made, so we can keep our doors open," said WIU President Jack Thomas. "These individuals are part of our WIU family. People I know, so it hurts."
The decision follows an announcement of staff reductions in late 2015, including 50 staffers who accepted an early retirement offer and about 50 more who would be laid off. WIU president Jack Thomas said he and other top administrators would also take pay cuts to help the university's financial situation; WIU also decided to battle falling enrollment by offering in-state tuition to all students.
Trustees said they will also consider removing tenured faculty from the list of faculty reductions in exchange for concessions from the union that represents them.
Phil Hare was the only trustee to vote against making the faculty cuts approved January 25; one member abstained and the other five voted in favor of the cuts.