CHICAGO () — With the fall semester just two weeks away at Illinois Institute of Technology, students and members of the campus community are raising concerns over layoffs they say are already affecting faculty, staff and academic plans.
Illinois Tech President Raj Echambadi addressed the university community last week in a message detailing the financial pressures facing the school.
“I am writing to share the difficult but necessary steps Illinois Tech is taking to strengthen the university’s long-term financial health. … the university has no choice but to pursue targeted reductions. …,” Echambadi wrote in the email.
A spokesperson for Illinois Tech confirmed that about 160 staff and faculty members were affected by the layoffs. The university pointed to several factors behind the cuts, including demographic decline, reduced research funding and severe restrictions affecting international students.
For some students, the consequences are no longer theoretical.
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“It’s a little bit like a slap in the face when we have half our faculty that have been laid off, and the school is still continuing to send us billing statements about classes when classes have been canceled too,” said Ming Xin, an Illinois Tech student. “My advisor is no longer going to be here in the coming semester, as well, and a lot of us have been affected to varying degrees.”
One Ph.D. student said the layoff of his professor has left his academic path uncertain.
“It was very shocking for us because we were doing research, and we are about to finish our research in one year. And I’m about to publish my paper with him,” the student said.
The student said his degree progress and student visa status are now in jeopardy.
Other students and staff members said they have seen fewer international students on campus and voiced concerns about the broader effects of the layoffs with the potential loss of research and innovation.
