..of dollars. According to this article in the Southern, the university has spent over $100 million on construction projects since 2012. Although the article says that money has gone to local contractors, there's no indication how much of it did.
Why the focus on local contractors? Money spent locally circulates through the economy, creating more jobs. According to this, 45% of money spent locally stays within the economy. Additionally, if you spend $100 on goods and service and spend half locally, it generates another $200 in local income. If you spend 80% of that $100 locally, it generates $500 in local revenues.
As the largest employer in southern Illinois, it is good to see that Chancellor Chen realizes this and is working to spend SIUC's money locally where feasible.
Why the focus on local contractors? Money spent locally circulates through the economy, creating more jobs. According to this, 45% of money spent locally stays within the economy. Additionally, if you spend $100 on goods and service and spend half locally, it generates another $200 in local income. If you spend 80% of that $100 locally, it generates $500 in local revenues.
As the largest employer in southern Illinois, it is good to see that Chancellor Chen realizes this and is working to spend SIUC's money locally where feasible.
Good news, they spent $100M. Bad news, they spent most of it on athletic stuff and not on education. A nationwide trend, so let's not single SIU out.
ReplyDeleteI don't think roadwork, building repair, and new construction is all athletics. Is there a breakdown of the expenses you could share, Peter?
ReplyDeleteLike talking to my 13 year old.
Delete~$70M is a once a decade grant from the state (Morris Library, Engineering expansion, you get the idea). The rest is organic money from SIU, that is going to build a replacement for Woody Hall. So, the money SIU has spent on building, that wasn't granted from the fairy princes in Chicago/Springfield, is mostly going to non-academic BS. Just as the organic money was spent the previous 10 years on athletics (AKA non-academic BS).
Good news, the sidewalks that frost heaved before I started at SIU in 1980, are getting replaced. Great!
As you should know, SIU will divert many, many resources from their large administrative staff to "help." Resulting in much more money then advertised being spent on these buildings. That is how universities are run these days.
SIU continues to rearrange the deck chairs on the Titanic. Are you in charge of leading the band?
Maybe you should examine how you talk to your 13-year-old, because you're coming off like a bit of an ass. If $70M out of $100M was spent on things like Morris, Engineering, and sidewalks; that's not "most of it" as you described. Also, your "take my word for it" attitude doesn't help. Back it up, man. The article gives readers nothing, and you've just doubled the author's effort, for a high score of zero.
DeleteDaveX:
DeleteTable G of the FY 2012 SIU budget has a breakdown for this year, but I cannot find last year's budget (which would have more athletic construction) or next year's budget (which will have tens of millions more for the Student Services Building and for initial work on an Alumni Center).
The administrators would tell you that the state will not fund new non-academic buildings, so the funding for those have to come completely from the university fees and donations. The problem, as I see it, is that the state hardly funds new academic buildings, and the university isn't making an effort to pay for academic buildings from fees and donations. Put the two together, and the university sits on its hands waiting for the state for academic construction money, while non-academic construction proceeds without delay.
This is construction since 2010, so it gets just the tail end of the athletic stuff.
ReplyDeleteIt also gets long-planned improvements and make-work projects.