Aurora University Cutting Staff Due Lack of State Funding

Aurora University is cutting or changing positions of 45 employees due to a funding shortfall, according to the Beacon News.

The school has fired 15 administrative employees and changed the contracts for 30 lecturers. About half of the lecturers who are on annual contracts have been offered other teaching positions.

In past years, the state has provided slightly more than $6.1 million to Aurora University students through the Monetary Assistance Program, or MAP. About 1,500 students at the school received the MAP funds. That is a large portion of the school’s enrollment of 5,500.

The state has not approved any MAP funds this year due to the budget stalemate in Springfield.

Steven McFarland, vice president for university communications, said the university would make up for the funds not provided by the state so the students who normally receive the grants would not be affected.

"We've seen the state less and less able to fulfill their commitment to students, and their actual fulfillment of the promises they've made has gotten less and less each year," McFarland said. "And it finally just crossed that breaking point for us and for our board of trustees."

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