As funding for higher education continually decreases in Illinois, universities across the state are being asked to do more with less, even at the departmental level.

The hardest hit

Administrators in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences feel they have been hit particularly hard, having not received an increase in funding as the demand for their resources increases.

The result: the college has been forced into a deficit of about $400,000, according to acting associate dean of LA&S, Bob Self.

While there have been no budget cuts to any college across campus, there have not been any increases in funding to accommodate the increase in incoming students either, said Frederick Schwantes, vice provost for Resource Planning.

Six of the LA&S majors have experienced significant growth over the past few years. These departments have been labeled as impacted departments, meaning the number of majors within the department has increased at a faster rate than the number of faculty needed to meet the demand, Self said.

There has also been an increase in demand for several general education courses in English, foreign language, history, philosophy and sociology. These courses are typically popular for first-year students and transfers to take.

Students trying to take these courses may have experienced troubles at the beginning of enrollment this semester in courses that they want or need to take.

Since then, the college has been able to open about 4,260 seats at the general education level, as well as provide funding to open 300- and 400-level courses that have been requested by the departments. In order to do this, the college has been forced to run the $400,000 deficit, Self said.

“We’re extending our deficit about as far as we can and still operate the college,” Self said.

Students taking action

Elaine Phillips, a freshman history major, has taken matters into her own hands when it comes to getting into courses.

“Part of what you have to do is talk to professors and network to get into your classes,” Phillips said.

If a student is having trouble getting into courses they need, they can contact their adviser or the academic chair of the department. Students are sometimes delayed in getting courses they need, but the goal is to eventually get the student in the course, Schwantes said.

Students being able to get the courses they want and need is a major concern within the college. Self thinks that if students are paying their fees, they have the right to expect to be able to take a course.

“It’s frustrating for us to not be able to put students in courses,” Self said.

The search for a solution

As enrollment in impacted majors continues to rise, solutions are being sought to meet the demand.

“We certainly are aware and are attending to shifting and providing new faculty to those departments that have experienced large growth,” Schwantes said.

Schwantes also said research is being done to determine a possible redistribution of funds from non-teaching areas, and to see if some can go to adding faculty as well as establishing a sort of savings plan.

The college is currently experiencing more retirement among faculty. Typically, these professors have higher salaries than a professor just starting out, so by replacing retiring faculty with a wave of new and younger faculty, there are some savings involved, Schwantes said.

These impacted majors and courses are being continually tracked by Resource Planning, Schwantes said, so that shifting of faculty and resources can be done as needed.