By Angela Hatton / Associated Press
Carbondale, IL – Faculty union officials at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale say nine teachers are being laid off while 76 others will see their wages cut. But University officials call the layoffs proposed as the university tries to close a $2.5 million budget shortfall. The Non-Tenure Track Faculty Association tells WSIL-TV employees got notifications by certified letter. Chancellor Rita Cheng hopes the two sides can reach a layoff-averting solution. She has proposed four campus-wide closure days to avoid layoffs, potentially saving more than two million dollars. The Illinois Education Association has talks scheduled with the university in early January.