Daily Egyptian July 29, 2010

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FIRING UP FOR FINAL SUNSET Ashilay Dilow, 21, of Anna, practices poi spinning, a skill used to learn how to spin fire, Thursday during the sunset concert at Turley Park. “It’s a really fun hobby and you meet lots of people doing it,� said Sarah Wingate, 21, of Cobden. Dillow and Wingate said they have been to every single sunset concert this summer and do not plan to miss the last one either. JESS VERMEULEN DAILY EGYPTIAN

Campus-wide budget cuts approved by Chancellor RYAN VOYLES Daily Egyptian Proposals from all university units to reduce their budget by 4 percent have been approved by administrators, but SIUC Chancellor Rita Cheng said more might need to be cut if enrollment drops in the fall. Cheng said she asked all university units to send proposals that reduce their upcoming year’s budget by an average of 4 percent, to make up the almost $15 million lost because of a lack of money in the cash reserves. She said her main goal in looking at the proposals was to make sure the units could still maintain their academic goals. “We wanted to make sure the quality of our instruction and research was not compromised,� she said. “We felt the deans and the faculty would know best how to manage with 4 percent less money.�

All university units asked for 4 percent budget cut proposal Among the reasons to make up for a loss of $15 million is the continued enrollment decrease, which has dropped every year since 2005, Cheng said. She said the 4 percent cuts would make up about half of the $15 million loss. If enrollment does not increase and less money than planned comes from tuition, Cheng said the university would look into possible furlough days. Most of the proposals include cutting down on business travel, research equipment and administrative costs, while also removing the salaries of jobs that are currently unfilled. Jay Means, dean of the College of Science, said his department has been preparing for a wide variety of budget cuts for the past year, but said that did not make the preparation any easier.

“Over 94.5 percent of our budget is people,� Means said. He said the college made the necessary cuts to administrative costs and supplies, but it was not enough as some non-tenured track faculty had to be laid off. Susan Tulis, associate dean of library affairs, said her department has yet to finalize all of its cuts, but it faces some unique challenges compared to other university units. “We may have to have more research sharing with other libraries in and outside the state,� she said. “It’s not just us facing these problems — all libraries in Illinois and probably nationwide are facing cuts. It does impact the materials we are able to access and use.� Cheng said Interim Provost Don Rice reviewed all proposals from the

academic units, while she reviewed proposals sent by the vice chancellors and other non-academic units. All the proposals have been approved and the units will go into the next year working with their proposals, Cheng said. Cheng said administrators decided on the 4 percent reduction after an exercise in the spring where all units were asked to decrease budgets by 10 percent showed how a cut that big would affect the academic mission of the university. “There would have been a need to eliminate some classes and there would have been some concerns about whether to provide the support structuring for tutoring and supplemental instruction,� Cheng said. “So when we had the conversation about how (10 percent) would be too much, we came up with 4 percent. The 4 percent was felt to be

difficult, but manageable.� Means said the cuts especially hurt his college since enrollment and research productivity has been increasing. He said the removal of faculty hurts potential growth. “Anytime you lose people or you give up people, you lessen the potential for the college to do something,� Means said. “Whether offering different courses, or (having) specialized researchers. It’s unfortunate, but it is the reality of our situation right now.� The main focus on preparing the budget reduction was to minimize the impact on students, Means said. Cheng said administrators are determined to make sure that even with the budget cuts, the university sticks with its mission to help students. “It’s been a difficult time, but we are determined to manage and make sure we do not compromise quality,� she said.

Residents of northeast side skeptical of city services MICHARA CANTY Daily Egyptian Carbondale resident Patricia Niemeyer said she and her neighbors are treated differently because of their social status.

Residents of the northeast side receive the bitter end of the stick regarding city maintenance services, she said. Niemeyer, 53, has resided at 506 East Sycamore Street for five years. She said residents of the northeast side are labeled and overlooked.

“I do not think the city recognizes and addresses issues like cleaning,� she said. “They do not care.� Areas within the city limits of Carbondale are treated with the same care, said Sean Henry, manager of city maintenance and environmental services.

He said the Public Works Department of city maintenance tends to sidewalk, alley and roadway sanitation. Most northeast side neighborhoods, like East Sycamore Street, are designated for public housing developments. The Jackson County Housing Authority pro-

vides housing services for low-income families, elderly and the disabled within six surrounding towns and neighborhoods, including Carbondale. Please see SYCAMORE | 5

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