CHARLESTON, Ill. (WAND) - On Tuesday, staff at Eastern Illinois University were informed via email that dozens of positions would be eliminated due to revenue declines. Students learned about the changes from staff who were impacted via social media or as they walked into class.
"Yesterday was a very emotional day on campus, learning a lot of the support staff and a lot of people who truly make Eastern a welcoming place are going to have to leave next year," said Megan Fox, a junior Political Science Major and the Speaker for the Student Senate. "When you're sort of hearing it through the grapevine, you have this issue of, is my information 100% true?"
Fox said students did not receive any communication and instead had to reach out to their respective departments to learn if their faculty were impacted. She is concerned about required classes for graduation, as the staff cuts will bring a reduction in class offerings and schedule changes.
"These small departments are becoming smaller and that's a huge concern for a lot of people," Fox said. "I'm lucky all my gen-eds are finished ... but it's going to be a lot harder to get academic supports and the classes you need."
Billy Hung is a faculty member and the EIU Chapter President of the University Professionals of Illinois Local 4100. He broke down the staffing changes for WAND. He said 21 people accepted voluntary separation agreements, 19 already empty positions will not be refilled, 17 staff positions are being cut and 27 teaching or advising positions are eliminated. In total, 84 staff roles are gone.
"We tend to look at the numbers, the number of jobs, the number of dollars, but behind every cut, there's a person and a family," Hung said. " All of them are working at full capacity, plus many of them are overloading. They're teaching more than their load, so this is not about job performance."
Hung and many other staff are concerned that these cuts are just the beginning, and that these eliminations may not be enough to make up for budget deficits.
WAND News reached out to EIU for more details on the cuts. An EIU spokesperson said a decline in international student enrollment was the biggest reason for the revenue decline. They also said domestic student enrollment remains strong.
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