By Lori D. Clark and Donita Polly

Plans to improve SIU’s budget problems are underway following a resolution passed by the SIUC Faculty Senate criticizing the administration’s ability to handle budget problems and other issues, University officials say.

The resolution which passed the senate in December, stated that the University has taken a single-minded approach to problems such as inadequate funding from state general revenue sources for programs and services at SIUC.

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Other issues outlined and criticized in the resolution include cutting some summer sessions to reallocate funds, keeping faculty salaries below those of comparable institutions, providing little funding for department operations and increasing student tuition and fees.

Albert Kent, president of the Faculty Senate, said the purpose behind the resolution was to alert the administration that the senate is concerned about how budget problems are being handled.

Kent said one main issue the senate found fault with is the way the administration is reallocating funds within the colleges to handle the budget problems instead of seeking more funds from the state.

The real question is why the installation of a fiber optic network wasn’t brought before the state as needed instead of using tuition revenue, Kent said.

Kent said he thinks SIU President Ted Sanders is trying to address the senate’s concerns and is working to provide more money for SIU from the state.

Sanders said he understands the senate’s concerns and said the University needs a better planning and budget process and a better method for setting and addressing priorities within the University.

We need to have access to information so each of us (faculty and administrators) can participate in the decision making process as appropriate to our roles, Sanders said.

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Sanders said the Faculty Senate’s concerns are items the University is aware of and can address.

We ought to see some significant progress in budget and planning for next year, he said.

Sanders said the issues of internal reallocations and faculty salaries are also important to him and the University for reasons besides the budget.

We have a problem, he said. If we’re not careful in responding to it, we are likely to find ourselves losing the faculty we’d most like to stay.

Sanders said the potential answer to low faculty salaries is discussing faculty roles to increase production so the University can bring salaries back within competitive range.

SIUC’s weighted average faculty salary is $10,000 lower than the lowest paid major field’s national average salary, according to a survey by the Office of Institutional Research at Oklahoma State University.

SIUC Chancellor John Guyon said the Faculty Senate’s concerns are shared by the whole University and the Illinois Board of Higher Education is responding to these concerns.

Guyon said IBHE is developing a technology plan that would allow for a fixed increase in funding for Illinois colleges, but no funding has been appropriated yet.