Eastern Illinois U. Insists, Again, That It Will Not Close in the Spring

Eastern Illinois University on Wednesday released a statement reassuring students and faculty members that it is not closing its doors next semester. “It has come to my attention that you may again be hearing that our ability to stay open for the spring semester is in question,” read the statement, which was signed by the university’s president, David M. Glassman. “This is not true.”

Mr. Glassman said the rumor had resurfaced recently after an article in the Chicago Tribune stated that the president had told lawmakers that, without more state funds, the university may have to close its doors next semester. Mr. Glassman said his words had been “reported out of context.”

This is not the first time the university has had to beat back rumors of its impending closure. Last month, in response to rumors on social media, Mr. Glassman sent a letter to the campus saying there was “no doubt” that the university would be open for the spring.

The financial standing of Illinois’s public universities is in limbo as the state’s Republican governor and its Democratic-controlled legislature battle to negotiate a budget.