President Maimon Issues Memo, Reflects on FY 19 Budget
Funds have been appropriated for public universities at a 2% increase over FY18, though funding that year represented a 10% decrease of FY 15 funding.
Date: June 1, 2018
To: GSU Community
From: Elaine P. Maimon, President 
Re: Approval of Appropriations for FY19
The General Assembly passed a budget for FY19 on May 31, and Governor Rauner has indicated that he will sign it. Funds have been appropriated for the public universities at a 2% increase over FY18. You may recall that FY18 funding represented a 10% decrease of FY 15 funding—the year prior to the budget impasse and the annual appropriation that public university leadership considered to be a base. In fact, the public university presidents lobbied strenuously for FY15 funding. The current appropriation is an 8% decrease from FY15 and, we fear, establishes a new normal.
Nonetheless, we appreciate being able to plan based on a full-year appropriation. Predictability is essential to every successful enterprise, and we are grateful that the General Assembly and the Governor have honored that principle. We celebrate the hard work and openness of the bipartisan, bicameral Working Group on Higher Education. These state senators and representatives invited a wide range of administrators in admissions, marketing, and institutional research to Springfield to answer questions on issues facing the public universities. The GSU team did an outstanding job. In addition, we all owe many thanks to Maureen Kelly, GSU’s legislative liaison, who was on top of every issue, providing facts, documents, and background information to plead our cause.
We are also pleased to see a number of new laws that will assist us in educating students. One example is the four-year MAP commitment, which will allow us to recruit students for Fall 2019, with the assurance of four-year funding, dependent on successful performance.
Please watch future editions of the GSU View for more information on helpful laws presented by the Working Group and passed by the General Assembly.
Many thanks to students, faculty members, and staff who have lobbied in Springfield and in our communities. This work is having a positive effect, but we have much more to do.
Best wishes for a restorative summer. We begin the season with a sense of relief that we have a budget providing a necessary degree of security and sustainability.