EDWARDSVILLE — The union representing faculty and staff at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is demanding negotiations over upcoming budget cuts that could include layoffs.
Last week, Chancellor James Minor said the university needs to slash positions and academic programs to address an operating deficit of more than $10 million.
The plan includes changes to degree programs, early retirement buyouts and the “consolidation, reduction or elimination of some positions,†Minor said in a letter to the campus.
The buyouts will roll out “in the coming weeks,†he said.
Union representatives for the 2,700 faculty and staff members at SIUE should be involved in the decisions, said Bridget Shanahan, a spokeswoman for the Illinois Education Association.
“The proposed campus reorganization and academic prioritization are mandatory subjects of bargaining and could result in the loss of student services and jobs,†Shanahan said in a statement Monday.
“We look forward to a robust discussion about how to best set the institution up for success in the future while still supporting and acknowledging that our higher education institutions are nothing without the outstanding educators who support our students,†she said in the statement.
Universities nationwide face an enrollment crisis caused primarily by a decline in birth rates that started in 2008. Other headwinds in higher education include rising operating expenses, uncertainty over federal grants and a general shift away from traditional liberal arts education.
A decade ago, SIUE’s salaries totaled $145.8 million for an enrollment of 13,972. This year, salaries have grown to $164.2 million while enrollment has dropped to 11,893 students, according to the chancellor’s letter.
Post-Dispatch photographers capture hundreds of images each week; here are just some photos from February 2025. Video edited by Jenna Jones.
