It has been two weeks since news of DePaul’s sizable $56.5 million budget gap broke. Since then, a handful of developments have occurred including a student protest and the non-renewal of six term faculty contracts.

 On April 20, DePaul President Robert Manuel shared an update in “Notes from Rob” via Newsline, outlining target dates for the budget process and new information regarding the proposed staff Voluntary Separation Incentive Program (VSIP).

Timeline

 Throughout the process surrounding the strategies to combat DePaul’s budget gap, faculty continue to voice criticism regarding a lack of transparency and short window for decision making. On Thursday, Manuel acknowledged concerns related to timing and released a new calendar with target dates for ongoing budget strategies through July 1, 2023.

The new timeline marks May 8 as the deadline to present a “high-level” budget proposal to the Board of Trustees, but deliberations will continue past that date.

June 8 is the deadline for deans and university vice presidents to deliver budget proposals for FY24 to the president’s office regarding various strategies to combat the gap within the faculty, staff and operational expenses.

On June 30, the last day of the fiscal year, the university will publish the final budget for FY24. 

VSIP update

One major strategy to help close DePaul’s $56.5 million gap is the offering of voluntary separation to current eligible staff through the program known as VSIP. Staff who are at least 55 years old with a minimum of 20 years full-time service, at least 62 years old with a minimum of 10 years full-time service or the sum of their age and full-time service equals at least 75 are eligible for VSIP. Employees who accept the incentive will receive one year of gross wages.

In Manuel’s update on Thursday, he wrote that 120 of the 205 eligible staff expressed interest in the program, representing 58.5%. In his message, Manuel wrote that, historically, 50-60% of those who express interest opt into these programs, and if that figure holds true “this would reduce the budget by roughly $7 million dollars.”

The actual figure of those who opt into VSIP will not be known until June 8. 

Council of the Whole

In a call for increased transparency in the name of shared governance, interest has arisen among a handful of faculty members to hold a Council of the Whole meeting, according to multiple faculty sources.

Council of the Whole meetings are special governance assemblies open to all faculty, regardless of status, including adjunct faculty, Associate Deans and AVP’s with faculty status. According to DePaul’s faculty handbook, 50 signatures from full-time faculty are needed to hold a Council of the Whole.

If held, the meeting would be chaired by Faculty Council president Sonia Soltero.

In 2021, a record 578 faculty members attended a Council of the Whole meeting in which those in attendance convened over concerns regarding the leadership of previous president A. Gabriel Esteban and the Board of Trustees surrounding DePaul’s budget.

 A determination regarding this possible meeting is expected this week.