I do not work for Chicago State U

and neither do you

Chicago State University sends layoff notices to all 900 employees - Chicago Tribune

 

Just a PR stunt. If a University can not self fund it should go under.

 

Public colleges and universities are not designed to self-fund. They are designed to be subsidized, affordable options for state residents. If Chicago State University wanted to be self-funding, then it would go private like Excelsior College did and raise tuition rates.

 

Beyond public colleges and universities, public services in general are not designed to be self-funded. Your Fire Department is not designed to be a revenue center. That doesn't mean that an FD shouldn't be a responsible steward of the tax dollars they are allocated, mind you. But public services are not businesses and never claimed to be.

 

And Bernie Sanders promises FREE COLLEGE? Good Luck!

 

I don't follow Bernie and I don't aim to speak for his proposals. But I do find it a bit odd at how many people scoff at the idea of using tax dollars for providing a "free" education to our population but have no issue whatsoever with spending trillions of dollars on wars and billions of dollars in maintaining military bases in so many countries world wide. These same people have very few issues with providing farmers with billions in subsidies, wage subsidies to major corporations, massive tax breaks that seldom translate into new jobs for the community and a network of highways that we promoted by shutting down a rather efficient railroad system.

We have the money. We just spend it on billion dollar contracts to private entities with well documented ties to the politicians who authorize such deals. We have a revolving door where executives from big pharma and companies like Monsanto pass back and forth between the FDA and USDA, respectively. And none of that troubles people one bit. But the minute we propose feeding hungry children or educating young adults without burying them in insurmountable debt then, all of the sudden, we've become wizards of fiscal conservatism. "Penny wise and pound foolish" about sums it up.

 

I hate that we are so involved with these conflicts around the globe. I also hate that we waste so much on social welfare programs. I have a great idea! How about the government only takes the minimum it needs to function and not take all my money.

 

here's a piece of the background story

Rauner tries to pin blame on Madigan for university funding crisis - Chicago Tribune

 

CSU is a gutter school! Good riddance.

 

the update is not great

Shaky finances putting Chicago State accreditation at risk

 

new president only lasts 9 moths

"After almost nine months at embattled Chicago State University, President Thomas Calhoun Jr. is apparently parting ways with the Far South Side university.

Trustees on Friday plan to vote on Calhoun's "separation agreement" and name an interim president, according to a board meeting agenda posted Wednesday morning. Calhoun is paid $300,000 a year, and the terms of the agreement were not immediately available.


Calhoun took over in January to much fanfare, with a five-year contract scheduled to run through 2020. The contract provides for various scenarios under which the board can remove Calhoun without cause, including with him accepting two years of salary, or $600,000, to leave immediately. He also could be reassigned to different job responsibilities but maintain his presidential salary through the length of his contract.

Calhoun and trustees did not return calls for comment, and a spokeswoman said the agreement was not available.

His impending departure comes at a troubling time for Chicago State, which serves a predominantly African-American student population. With a heavy reliance on state funding, it has struggled to stay afloat as state lawmakers failed to pass a budget for most of the year and then provided only partial funding.

The school declared a financial emergency in February and was notified that its accreditation status was at risk because of its shaky finances.

About 40 percent of the university's employees have been terminated or laid off since the beginning of the year, and academic programs have been cut. The campus library has reduced its hours, and is now only open on weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.


lRelated

Chicago State sanctioned over financial strife

Student enrollment is expected to be down steeply this fall when the university releases figures later this month, and the most recent graduation rate was down to just 11 percent.

On campus Wednesday, it was not clear if Calhoun still occupied his office on the top floor of the campus administration building. The suite, with a large reception area decorated with student art, was nearly empty. Doors to conference rooms were shut.

Tyrel Dochee, a graduate student studying clinical health, said he heard the news about Calhoun from a library staffer, who urged students to spread the word and attend Friday's board meeting.

"We shouldn't have to find out this way," said Dochee, 28. "It's just a disservice. We have phones, we have email. There's just no respect. Nobody's telling us anything. Nobody cares about the students."

Dochee said he'd never met Calhoun and did not have an opinion about him or his tenure. But he said friends and alumni wanted to give Calhoun a fair chance to fix problems at Chicago State that have only worsened in recent months.

lRelated

Chicago State University declares financial crisis due to state budget mess

"This school used to have so much morale," Dochee said. "I don't know if it's even going to be up and running."

The decision to part ways with Calhoun is an about-face from 11 months ago when trustees enthusiastically announced hiring the Alabama administrator to replace President Wayne Watson, who retired last year.

Nikki Zollar, the board vice chair and head of the presidential search committee, said then that Calhoun, who previously worked at the University of Northern Alabama, was the only one of the three finalists who received overwhelming support from students, staff and faculty groups.

As people wondered about the 149-year-old university's future, Calhoun urged optimism, saying the institution had a bright future ahead.

"I believe that by working together, Chicago State University will continue to have a transformational impact on the lives of our students and our surrounding communities, and I look forward to the start of this journey together," Calhoun said at the time.

Watson, who was president from 2009 until last year, heaped praise upon his successor. While the university's accreditation was renewed during Watson's tenure, the school faced declining enrollment, whistleblower lawsuits and low morale.

"His qualifications are impeccable, his experience has great depth to it, and equally as important, his vision, his vision as an educator, is something that is going to take Chicago State University to the next level," Watson said at the time.

As word spread this week that Calhoun may be out, faculty members made a last-ditch effort to show their support.

On Wednesday morning, the president of the university faculty union sent a letter to the board to show the faculty's "virtually unanimous support" for Calhoun, saying he has "provided steady leadership and a strong public voice" during the difficulties presented by the budget crisis of the past year.

"As we begin to normalize operations, we are sure you want to join with us in full support of Dr. Calhoun," states the letter, signed by more than 130 faculty members. "To do otherwise would continue the turmoil we have experienced since February and likely expose the still vulnerable university to additional harm. We are eager to begin the work of rebuilding the institution. We have the right president at the right time."

Robert Bionaz, president of the faculty union, criticized the board for getting rid of a popular president while keeping other senior administrators who are opposed by faculty and staff.

"The board has chosen a path guaranteed to create continued conflict, contention and uproar on this campus," said Bionaz, a history professor. "This is a truly dark hour for our university, and Gov. (Bruce) Rauner should immediately replace every member of this current board of trustees."

Rauner on Wednesday afternoon had little to say about Calhoun's possible departure. About the faculty's call for him to replace trustees, he said: "We'll all sort that out, I guess, together. I don't know yet."

Sen. Bill Cunningham, a Chicago Democrat on the Higher Education Committee, said he had not heard about Calhoun's impending departure until informed by a reporter and did not know the reasons behind it.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/

 

Progressives love War. They love to tell the rest of the World how to live. The military gives them options. FREE education does not!

 

Clearly the model is sad. My local CC is 4 times bigger and charges 1/3 the tuition and runs fine. They need to have a Lean Six Sigma study on this school? Or it just needs to fail like the for profits.

 

Lean Six Sigma study?

 

Lean Six Sigma is a methodology that relies on a collaborative team effort to improve performance by systematically removing waste.