The Faculty Senate will discuss a proposed resolution for the budget crisis and get an admissions update from Kara Hadley-Shakya, interim director of admissions, during a special session at 2 p.m. Tuesday in Room 2211 of the Doudna Fine Arts Center.

The resolution contains a draft from the faculty and staff of Eastern and from citizens and voters in East Central Illinois.

History professor Bailey Young submitted the resolution, which calls for the General Assembly to pass and the governor to sign an adequate budget that meets the urgent needs of the public educational institutions in Illinois including Eastern.

Young said after a membership meeting of Eastern’s chapter of the University Professionals of Illinois last Wednesday, it was clear that faculty had to act and make their voices heard.

“It just flabbergasts me that such a strong and vibrant institution is put in such a hostage situation,” Young said. “We are forced to lay off people and it’s unconscionable.”

Young said since he is on the Faculty Senate it seemed like a normal thing for the senate to send a resolution stating their positions.

The resolution claims that the faculty and staff of Eastern are committed to providing students with the high quality education they need “in order to ensure a dynamic and competitive future.”

“(The faculty and staff) are vital to the economy of East Central Illinois, to its culture and to the quality of life of our community,” the resolution said.

Bailey said the resolution calls upon the legislators and the governor to do their jobs by providing the faculty and staff with what they need to continue to do their job.

Young, who has taught at the university for 22 years, said Eastern is an excellent place to work and the crisis is unfair to students and is weakening institutions like Eastern.

“I like working with students and this infuriates me,” Young said. “It’s unnecessary to put politics over the economic welfare of the state.”

Young said it is upsetting that the governor does not seem to care about public higher education and it makes him angry that the university is being threatened when faculty and staff are doing so well.

“It’s for sure that (Gov. Bruce Rauner) wants to cut down state spending on education which is already inadequate and that’s the wrong way to go,” Young said. “So as faculty senators and members of the union we are doing all that we can to make the case that this is wrong and to get us the money that we were originally scheduled to have.”

If the senate passes the resolution, it will be sent to Rep. Reggie Phillips, Sen. Dale Righter and Gov. Rauner.

“We have an opportunity to come together on this and to come out of it stronger in the long run,” Young said. “We have got to show that we are not going to be pushed over.”

As a result of a conflicting class, Young said he will not be in attendance at tomorrow’s meeting.

Analicia Haynes can be reached at 581-2812 or [email protected]