Rock Valley College board chairman Patrick Murphy fielded questions about last week’s layoff of 28 faculty members, the college’s academic standing and fiscal concerns as RVC continues to grapple with a budget deficit brought on partly by a lack of state funding. (Photo by Jack McCarthy / Chronicle Media).

The layoffs of 28 Rock Valley College faculty members may not set in stone but the underlying fiscal issues that led to the action are not going away anytime soon.

RVC board chairman Patrick Murphy answered a series of questions about layoffs, fiscal policies and the status of specific programs during a 50-minute student government-sponsored forum on March 2..

The college has made a series of budget and staff cuts since 2015, but getting to a point of laying off faculty was still wrenching for administrators and the board of trustees.

“This is not the only option, it was the last option,” Murphy told a mixed crowd of students, faculty and other parties in attendance at RVC’s Performing Arts Room. “All the other options had already been tried.”

The RVC Board voted 3-1 Feb. 28 to lay off 28 full-time faculty to partly address a reported $1.7 million budget deficit. Faculty targeted for the reduction in force were selected by administrators and their recommendations were approved by the board.

Medical, science and business programs accounted for half the layoffs.

Murphy said he could not address specific cuts in academic personnel despite a series of questions and comments from audience members, suggesting they contact college administrators for answers.

Despite the reductions in staff, Murphy insisted that that Rock Valley was in sound shape academically, no programs were being cut and that students would be able to complete required work.

“There is no plan to cancel any academic programs,” Murphy said. “That is not an option. Really what you look at is classes. … Currently we’ve scheduled say 150,000 (total) credit hours and you fill it in where enrollment comes.   As you enroll and you see where the need is, we’re able to open those classes and do that with the resources that we have.”

Murphy did indicate it was possible some of the layoffs could be rescinded by fall depending on the college’s fiscal condition and results of ongoing negotiations between the faculty union and RVC administration.

The March 2 student government-sponsored forum with Rock Valley College board chairman Patrick Murphy drew 80 persons to the session in the school’s Performing Arts Room. (Photo by Jack McCarthy / Chronicle Media)

RVC’s underlying problems are the result of a lack of state funding as well as a decline in money from local property taxes.

Murphy said RVC financial support once relied on a formula of one-third state funding, one-third property taxes and one-third tuition.

But state funding went away in 2015 and has not been restored as the General Assembly and Gov. Bruce Rauner have failed to agree on a state budget for two straight years.

“I’m sure everyone is aware that the state hasn’t given us any money,” Murphy said. “We’ve lost $9.2 million in the last two years.

Overall property values in the RVC district have declined $1.3 billion since 2010, leaving less property tax income for the college.

As a result, tuition now supports between 41 and 47 percent of RVC operations.

“The only other revenue source we have is the students, is tuition. RVC is not alone in its fiscal struggles. While some are in better shape than others, every community college in Illinois faces a similar situation brought on by a lack of state funding,” Murphy said.

“In 51 years of being here this has never happened to community colleges,” he continued. “The best thing we can do, the most fiscally responsible thing we can do is we can try to become independent of state dollars.

“If they give us money, great. We’ve got some special projects we can do, special things he can do,” he added. “But right now we’re not getting any money.”

One forum participant laid the blame squarely on Rauner and urged attendees to apply pressure on the governor. Murphy suggested they also contact Democratic House Speaker Michael Madigan with their concerns.

The college made 30 layoffs and eliminated 14 positions in 2015, cut $1 million in non-salary expenses  in 2016  and also raised tuition in that timeframe.

Talks between faculty and RVC administrators may be contentious after the 159-member Faculty Association declared they had “no confidence” in college leadership.

— Some Rock Valley College faculty cuts could be reversed —