The university is waiting on $115 million owed from the state for the 2010 fiscal year, and if missed payments continue, further cuts would most likely follow, said SIU President Glenn Poshard.
Poshard said the university has not received appropriation payments from the state for July, August, September or October.
“Hopefully, we’ll start to see some revenue come in November because if not, we go into the hole fairly substantially,” Poshard said. “We simply don’t have enough money for operations at that point in time.”
The university could be as much as $20 million in the hole by the end of the month if no payment is received.
Poshard said even though the university has been proactive in cutting costs, saving more than $9 million in efficiencies throughout the past year, without some kind of increase in revenue, there will be a “dire situation” to face in the next fiscal year.
Poshard said for the immediate future, without payment from the state, the university would need to look into further cuts, but would do everything possible to avoid cutting personnel through furloughs and layoffs.
“This is a critical time for our office, and I feel like we have to do everything we can do to prevent those kinds of things,” Poshard said.
Madeleine Leroux can be reached at 536-3311 ext. 254.
