New U of I President Says Budget Impasse Could Have Long-Term Implications

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Published on September 28 2015 10:03 am
Last Updated on September 28 2015 10:03 am
Written by Greg Sapp

Illinois' budget impasse harms an economic engine with solutions for the state's economic problems, the new University of Illinois president told the Illinois Farm Bureau board last week in Bloomington.

“In my mind, you can’t tax or cut your way out,” said President Timothy Killeen. “You grow your way out of it with a 21st century, can-do, know-how economy ... Illinois needs an innovative ecosystem, and we want to be the engine.”

Asked about recently announced cuts to U of I crop research farms, Killeen said the step was “a budget-constraint decision made in ACES (the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences) ... It’s a harbinger of what we’re facing if higher education is not in the budget.” The Brownstown crop research farm was among those closed.

Without a state budget, the U of I loses $630 million, the president said. While the university planned for a 30 percent cut, it’s received no funding for the current fiscal year and the last check for the previous one, he added. Killeen said he and other state university presidents talked last week and are working together to present their case for state support.

“We don’t want to be roadkill in the budget so I have an anti-roadkill strategy,” he said. In response to a question about Illinois losing students to out-of-state higher education, Killeen called Illinois “the second worst” for student migration. “That’s a bit of an embarrassment,” he said. “We’ve got to compete.” Not only is the state losing its best and brightest students, but Illinois universities also are losing talented faculty, he continued.

“Six months ago, I was competing for your best faculty. I was in Gov. (Andrew) Cuomo’s office saying, ‘Let’s poach,’” said the former administrator for the State University of New York. “We need to think clearly to train world-class talent and provide them jobs to keep them in Illinois,” Killeen said.

Looking ahead, Killeen estimated the search for a new ACES dean would start in January or February before Dean Bob Hauser’s term ends in August 2016. “This (position) is as important as any deanship, and I will be personally involved,” Killeen said.