Dozens of Western professors lose their jobs

Western Illinois University’s administration on July 1 announced plans to lay off dozens of faculty, citing financial needs.

“In an ongoing commitment to achieving fiscal stability at Western Illinois University, 36 contracts for Unit B faculty have not been renewed,” WIU said in a prepared statement.

“Unit B” faculty are professors who work year-to-year without the job security for tenure-track teachers.

Carin Stutz, chair of WIU’s Board of Trustees, said the state-supported university has exhausted its cash reserves. At the board’s quarterly meeting in June, she said the administration must deal with the financial situation. However, neither the board nor administration has detailed how not renewing employment for 36 teachers translates to budget savings.

The job cuts could affect WIU’s campuses in Macomb and in the Quad Cities.

Merrill Cole, president of Western’s chapter of the University Professionals of Illinois 4100, an affiliate of the American Federation of Teachers representing WIU faculty, told the Labor Paper the union stands by those affected by the mass layoff.

"UPI will not stop fighting for our hard-working colleagues who have lost their jobs,” said Cole, a Professor of English at Western. “We are doing all we can to support and protect our students, our staff, and our faculty. We are working to build a better WIU. Please join us."

Last fall, WIU reported having 1,313 workers, including 519 faculty.