The deadline to let Annually Contracted Faculty members know if their contract will be renewed is Monday March 14th.

Blair Lord, vice president for academic affairs, said ACFs with two or three-year contracts who are in the middle of a multi-year term need to be notified if they will not be hired for the following year by this date.

He said there may some instances where this may be needed but the deans of different areas are still analyzing what needs to be done in different areas.

Glenn Hild, the interim dean of the College of Arts and Humanities, said they decide which contracts are not going to be renewed by seeing if the ACFs, or Unit B, faculty are needed to teach the curriculum for that department or if there are Unit A faculty members who can teach the classes for them.

Hild said declining enrollment can be a factor in modifying contracts, and the budget impasse, which has left Illinois without a budget for eight months, has something to do with it to.

“The university anticipates less money, unless the legislature is much more generous in a timely fashion for public universities,” Hild said.

Hild said the president and provost are looking for ways to ensure as the university goes forward that their expenses do not outrun their reserves.

Hild said he would rather not say at this time how many contracts would not be renewed, but he expects there will be some that are not.

Those whose contracts are not renewed will get a letter officially from Lord, but Hild said there would more than likely have a personal conversation with the person before that.

Hild said the College of Arts and Humanities could see less classes, curriculum, and fewer sections of certain introductory courses because of less ACFs.

Ryan Hendrickson, interim Dean of the Graduate School, is not one of the deans who will be deciding whether or not to renew the ACFs contracts.

He said the Deans consult with the chairs of different departments to determine how and if they will face a reduction in staff.

“Anytime faculty members are reduced in a department, there is a ripple effect across the entire department which can then impact the graduate program,” Hendrickson said.

However, ACF’s primarily teach at the undergraduate level.

He said classes might be moved around, or maybe an elective course could not be offered.

This is all different in each department, Hendrickson said.

Hendrickson said the graduate school is still recruiting students and the number of programs is growing continually.

Cassie Buchman can be reached at 581-2812 or [email protected]