Don't underestimate damage done to U of I in budget war - CRAIN'S EDITORIAL BOARD

As Crain's political columnist Greg Hinz notes, U of I has deeper reserves than the other schools. But the budget war has cut its state funding from more than $600 million a year to under $200 million, and even the lower level is not guaranteed. Rival states have already poached a handful of top faculty members in the midst of this crisis, and it's reasonable to think others will depart, taking with them the research money and top-notch students they draw. Faculty recruitment could also get tougher as underfunded pensions continue to look ever more wobbly. Squeezed by the state, U of I President Timothy Killeen has slashed offices by 20 percent, saving about $1 million a month in the process, while also reducing non-instructional staff and attempting to freeze tuition rates. More than that, Killeen is doing the grown-up thing, pushing a long-term strategic framework to preserve the system's health regardless of Springfield's nonsense. http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20170421/OPINION/170429965/university-of-illinois-suffers-damage-in-springfield-budget-war