Higher Education Supports Build Up IL Capital Funding Push

SPRINGFIELD -- Illinois’ public and private colleges and universities have suffered through many challenges in recent years. While declining enrollment and budget shortfalls have grabbed the headlines, every campus has seen its foundation start to crumble – from classroom buildings with leaky pipes and roofs to activity centers needing upgrades for more than a decade.

Leaders of the state’s public and private campuses united Thursday to say now is the time for a solution. They offered full support of the Build Up Illinois coalition push for a vertical capital construction program that could funnel millions of dollars in funding to colleges and universities to catch up on years of neglect and decay.

Build Up Illinois is a coalition of groups and associations representing all levels of education from preschool through advanced college degrees, Illinois hospitals and organized labor and building trades. The group is ramping up pressure on legislators and Gov. Pritzker to approve a robust capital program, 10 years after Illinois last invested in capital in 2009.

The list of needs is overwhelming. Build Up Illinois points to state statistics showing repairs hitting nearly $10 billion for pre-K through 12th grade schools, and nearly $8 billion for state facilities. Higher education needs fall in line at nearly $10 billion for Illinois’ colleges and universities.

College and university campuses have seen declines in state funding support for nearly 20 years, forcing them to shift dollars that could be used for maintenance and repairs into preserving educational choices for students. The cumulative pain of funding shortfalls – exacerbated by a two-year state budget impasse – is a clear example of cause and effect: as buildings deteriorate and campus costs grow, students choose to go elsewhere. Campuses then have less revenue to make repairs and keep up with changing technology, so more students leave or choose not to come.

In Charleston on the campus of Eastern Illinois University, a science building uses tarps to protect research materials and equipment from leaky pipes and roofs. At Governors State University, young children were sent home when a failing HVAC system forced closure of the Family Development Center. At Western Illinois University in Macomb, book stacks in the library are covered in plastic to protect them from roof leaks. And the University of Illinois system has a deferred maintenance backlog topping $2 billion across its three campuses.

Campus leaders said the situation is dire, but lawmakers’ choice now is clear. If Illinois is serious about restoring its reputation as a national leader in higher education, campuses need capital support to repair and improve the facilities that are critical to attracting and keeping top-tier students and faculty.

“When the Governor and members of the General Assembly act as advocates for higher education, transformative impacts can benefit the more than 166,000 students enrolled on our public campuses statewide. Every dollar invested in these students is an investment in the future of Illinois, and we know from our research that students who receive their higher education in Illinois tend to stay, work and become engaged, taxpaying Illinois residents,” said Illinois State University President Dr. Larry Dietz. “While we understand and appreciate that Illinois is experiencing prolonged financial challenges, we also recognize that additional revenue is necessary to provide the level of support higher education needs.”

Federation of Independent Illinois Colleges and Universities President David Tretter added, “Illinois independent colleges and universities contribute over $20 billion annually to the Illinois economy at over 80 locations statewide, and educate over 170,000 Illinois residents every year. It’s important to the state that these institutions, along with our public and community college counterparts, remain vibrant to help retain Illinois residents to educate and build Illinois’ future.”