SIUE administration addresses State Senate Appropriations Committee regarding budget cuts

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville leaders today told Illinois Senate Appropriations Committee members that the proposed state budget cuts will have a significantly negative impact on the Metro East. The conversation took place during a meeting in the Morris University Center on campus.

 “The 31.5 percent reduction in state funds proposed by the Governor’s budget would have a devastating effect on students, employees and our region,” said Julie Furst-Bowe, SIUE chancellor. “We would be forced to reduce course sections and support programs, as well as service and outreach activities.”

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“SIUE is a major economic engine of the Metro East and the cuts to SIUE will have a negative impact beyond the campus,” said John Navin, interim dean of the School of Business.

“If there is a funding cut, we will try to find a way to continue to educate our students and provide essential services for our patients, but it will be challenging,” said Gireesh Gupchup, dean of the School of Pharmacy. “The positive impact that the School of Pharmacy has on the education of health professionals and service to the citizens of central and southern Illinois will be severely impacted if funding is lost.”

SIUE Student Government President Nasir Almasri discussed how cuts to higher education would eventually drive Illinois students out of the state for college and jobs.

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville provides students with a high quality, affordable education that prepares them for successful careers and lives of purpose. Built on the foundation of a broad-based liberal education, and enhanced by hands-on research and real-world experiences, the academic preparation SIUE students receive equips them to thrive in the global marketplace and make our communities better places to live. Situated on 2,660 acres of beautiful woodland atop the bluffs overlooking the natural beauty of the Mississippi River’s rich bottomland and only a short drive from downtown St. Louis, the SIUE campus is home to a diverse student body of nearly 14,000.

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