By Angela Hatton
Carbondale, IL – A tenure-track faculty union at Southern Illinois University Carbondale claims the school's budget shortfall isn't as large as officials say. The SIUC Faculty Association posted a document on their website which calculates the university has over four million dollars in contingency funds. They also estimate the budget shortfall is not more than $400,000. University officials have said they face a shortfall of $2.5 million. SIUC Chancellor Rita Cheng tells the Southern newspaper the union's claims are incorrect. Cheng says a full response to the document is forthcoming. The university is considering four furlough days next year. In addition, 78 non-tenure faculty say they've received notices of pay cuts or layoffs.