Issue date: 9/15/09 Section: News

Media Credit: Sean Roberts Chancellor Vaughn Vandegrift watched a powerpoint presentation on the new science building Thursday.

As seemingly with every other organization in the United States now, SIUE will face serious cuts if the state and federal governments cannot provide the funds the university is counting on.

Duane Stucky, senior vice president for Financial and Administrative Affairs and Board Treasurer, said the university received $16 million in federal stimulus money to help reach the 2010 budget. However, $7 million more would need to be awarded by the U.S. government to meet the 2011 proposed budget, which is almost $1 billion dollars.

"We have not laid anyone off in this point in time," SIU President Glenn Poshard said. "[If] we lose 7 percent of our budget, there will have to be steps taken in that direction."

Poshard said they had looked at both SIUC and SIUE last year to see what cuts could be made, but a more thorough investigation would need to be made for next year.

Also losing funds from the Illinois government this year were the MAP grants. The grants affect 7,600 undergrad students at SIU. Poshard was emphatic to maintaining funds so students could afford to stay in school.

Poshard said 47 percent of students who receive funding have a household income of under $20,000, and 77 percent have household incomes of under $30,000.

"They are the students we take pride in giving an opportunity to receive a college education," Poshard said. "They are the ones that are being denied an education by the state."

Poshard also urged for everyone involved to support Gov. Pat Quinn's new proposal to fund the MAP grants. Quinn is pushing a $1 tax on cigarettes, which would fund the spring semester of the program. Poshard said students were not informed of the program's cut until late July.

"This is everybody's business, not just administrations and students," Poshard said. "Everybody has got to contact these legislators and say 'Get on board with this proposal'."

Cougar Village Apartment 529, which was destroyed in a fire on Aug. 17, will be rebuilt pending an approval from the Illinois Board of Higher Education. The $1.6 million rebuilding process will be funded through the university's self-insurance program.

Continued...

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