This spring, Illinoisans saw dramatic strikes by faculty and staff at three public universities (Chicago State, Governors State and Eastern Illinois), while another campus (Northeastern Illinois) narrowly averted a walkout. This was an unprecedented situation in our state, and it should have made one thing crystal clear to the public, the media and our elected leaders: Illinois has a serious problem with higher education funding. It is urgent that we find a solution.
Our students — particularly those who are Black, brown and low-income — cannot wait. Here is the brutal reality:
