|
ripple effect
The state of Illinois is suffering a budget shortfall this year.
As a result, the new state budget (to be voted on in June, if I recall correctly) contains serious cuts to higher education.
In response to these cuts, the English Department at the University of Illinois was, well, let's say strongly encouraged to cut a bunch of lecturers. About half of them (twenty-five or so) went. I've stayed on, although many people who I like and respect will not be returning.
This upcoming fall, UIC will have a record number of incoming freshmen. The lecturers traditionally teach a huge percentage of the University's freshman composition courses. (By my conservative calculations, those twenty-five lecturers were responsible for the education of about 1,500 students per semester.)
To cover for the lack of lecturers, UIC has had to cancel various classes and programs, eroding the undergraduate experience significantly. This article, from the UIC school paper, deals with some of the particulars. (A Chicago Tribune article is allegedly in the works.)
I anticipate a scene of grim chaos in the fall. Labels: academia, teaching |
Wednesday, April 24, 2002
2:25 PM
|
