Don't look for Illinois State University to curb its long-time practice of granting dismissed administrative workers a year's severance pay.
Many universities bring supervisory workers on board by promising them a year's salary if they're let go, but recently Western Illinois changed to paying for six-months of employment. During Sound Ideas, ISU President Larry Dietz said paying benefits and salary for a year after dismissal is needed now more than ever, since more than a hundred positions have been held open due to budget constraints.
"So as we ask other staff to pick up the pace for those individuals who are not here any longer, I think the idea of cutting their benefits is probably not a wise idea for us," Dietz said
The Chicago Tribune recently reported the cost for Chicago State University to lay off 400 workers was more than $2 million in salary, health and vacation benefits. Chicago State was one of the universities hardest hit by the state budget impasse.
But Dietz said Illinois State is in a much stronger fiscal position than Chicago State, Western Illinois and most every other public university.
"We haven't had the furloughs and layoffs that a lot of other institutions have had so it's really a moot issue for us," he added.
Dietz said he planned to discuss the topic Wednesday afternoon during a weekly conference call with other public university presidents.
Also during the interview, Dietz said there would be a review of the way the summer campus orientation program operates in the wake of a sexual assault that occurred last month. An incoming student and his father were charged in connection with the incident, which also involved other prospective students. Dietz said the review would take place after details of the incident become fully known.
Dietz also discussed the recent downgrade in bond status by the rating agencies Moody's and Standard & Poors. He said of the six universities to be downgraded, ISU's rating declined the least.
