ROSELAND — Chicago State University President Thomas Calhoun Jr. will travel to Springfield next week to hear Gov. Bruce Rauner’s state budget address — a message that could have far-reaching consequences for the Far South Side school.
“He hopes to hear solutions to this budget deficit,” university spokesman Tom Wogan said of the Feb. 17 address.
Students took to the streets Monday, protesting outside the Thompson Center and begging state officials to take action. It came after the university’s Board of Trustees declared a "financial exigency" last Friday, meaning the school could take extraordinary steps to address its budget emergency.
With no funding because of the state budget impasse, university officials are forced to find ways to continue operating. The school attended by predominately African-American students is in its eighth month without a budget — a situation similar to all Illinois public universities.
“Over the past year, this University has made significant cuts to personnel and spending but has reached a tipping point where the ability to function is threatened,” said chairman Anthony Young in a written statement. He said that an “exigency” is not a solution to the budget crisis, but it will temporarily help the university administration keep operating.
“The only real solution is for the Governor and the leaders to come together and provide the necessary funding to avoid further damage to our universities,” he said.
In a letter responding to harsh criticism from Rauner last month, Calhoun said the university has cut 10 percent of its workforce and cut back on administrative costs by more than 20 percent. Administrative salaries have also been frozen, travel has been reduced and there have been delayed payments to the vendors. Overall purchases throughout the year have had to be cut back.
To complete this semester, administration is reevaluating all of its programs, services and its organizational structure. The Board also established a Management Action Committee which will make recommendations on where cuts can be made with input from faculty, staff and students.
“We find ourselves in this unprecedented situation because, while the state has not honored its commitment to our students, we still intend to do so,” Calhoun said. “We are committed to finishing this semester and to graduating our seniors, and in order to accomplish that goal in the absence of state dollars or MAP grant funding, we are forced to take these extraordinary measures.”
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