Western Illinois Announces Layoffs, $20 Million In Cuts

Western Illinois University says it will cut $20 million in spending over the next two fiscal years. The university says for the fiscal year beginning July, it will cut 100 positions.

President Jack Thomas says that will be done across divisions and includes administrators, faculty, and staff. 

"We’ve already done some of that across the board," he said, "and we will just have to do more of it if we continue to have the budget impasse."

Thomas says Western has already cut spending by $5 million for the current fiscal year and another four-million will be cut for the remainder of the year. That will include mandatory furloughs that go into effect April 1 for what the university calls non-negotiated personnel.

Those workers include administrative, non-academic, and civil service employees not covered by unions.