The news is not good for Illinois universities, according to Ellie Sullivan, the University Professionals of Illinois Local 4100 president.

“We are at rock bottom,” Sullivan said at the UPI chapter meeting Thursday afternoon. “I’ve been in higher education for 37 years, and this is the worst I’ve ever seen.”

A proposed budget for fiscal year 2011 would put higher education funding at the 2006 level. Sullivan said the 2006 levels followed three years of recession, equating it to 2002 levels. When factoring in inflation rates, Sullivan said it would essentially be equal to 1999 levels.

“We’ve lost a decade and a year of funding, and yet, costs continue to rise,” Sullivan said. “Higher education has been particularly hard hit in the last five or six years.”

Traditionally, one-third of education spending in Illinois went to higher education. That percent has been going down in recent years.

“In the past few years, higher education has been getting less and less,” Sullivan said. “We need that funding desperately.”

Lowered state appropriations have led to what Sullivan called “tuition-driven” budgeting, which contributes to rising tuition costs. Rising tuition brings about more than just affordability issues.

“With the affordability issue comes the issue of diversity and locking out the students who need the assistance the most,” Sullivan said.

John Allison, chapter president and an English professor, introduced the contract renegotiations bargaining team before the meeting went into closed session.

“We’re going to confront a real struggle,” Allison said. “We must not adopt the point of view that all is lost and we are hopeless.”

Jonathan Blitz, a chemistry professor, will be the chief

negotiator. The union plans to have finalized contracts in the fall.

Sarah Ruholl can be reached

at 581-7942

or at [email protected]