Western Illinois University's faculty union, University Professionals of Illinois (UPI) Local 4100, is asking University faculty, staff, students and friends of WIU to join them and their counterparts from the Illinois Federation of Teacher (IFT) and UPI chapters across the state in a postcard campaign to the Illinois Board of Higher Education (IBHE) for an equity funding formula for the state's public universities.
Currently, the IBHE allocates flat percentage funding for the Illinois' public university system, which includes, along with WIU, Eastern Illinois University, Northern Illinois University, Southern Illinois-Edwardsville and Carbondale, Illinois State, Chicago State, Governors State, Northeastern Illinois University and the University of Illinois System that includes three universities around the state. The UPI is asking the IBHE for an equity funding formula to be put into place that would divide out state allocations based on the metric each campus requires to provide equity for its students. By this metric, WIU is the most inadequately funded public university in Illinois, noted UPI 4100 President Merrill Cole.
The postcard campaign, which is digital at ift-aft.org/upifunding, states: 'Years of underfunding by the state have forced most public universities to increase tuition, cut programs and reduce staff. This directly harms student opportunities and academic success. At the same time, skyrocketing tuition has contributed to lower enrollment and dramatically increased student debt. Our universities are facing a funding crisis; Illinois students are paying the price.'
'This postcard drive is not limited to UPI members. We ask that students, community members, retirees, parents of students, city officials and others to please take part in this digital campaign to urge the IBHE to support equitable funding,' Cole added.
On April 16, Western's UPI members, along with students, will be traveling to Springfield for the UPI Teach Out for Higher Education to meet with legislators to discuss funding for higher education and other matters.
In addition to the postcard campaign directed to the IBHE, the UPI, along with the IFT, are asking Gov. J.B. Pritzker via a petition to stand up to federal cuts to education, health care and other services. The petition can be found at actionnetwork. org/petitions/governor-pritzker-put-people- over-profits.
