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9/15/2009
Dear Colleagues:
Since January 2007, when I became Executive Director of ISAC, our agency and our industry have experienced significant changes at an unprecedented rate. In working with the Commissioners and ISAC staff, we have been taking steps to make the organization more agile, effective, and efficient to ensure that ISAC fulfills its mission of making college accessible and affordable for all Illinois students well into the future.
To that end, ISAC will be experiencing another workforce reduction of approximately 15 percent by the end of the first quarter of 2010. We currently employ 381 people at our offices in Chicago, Deerfield and Springfield. The position eliminations will come from both the top and bottom of the organization - principal administrative appointments as well as civil service positions will be affected. The reorganization will occur in two phases with the first beginning in mid-September and the second phase taking place during the first quarter of 2010 as ISAC completes restructuring and consolidating IDAPP servicing operations to a single third-party servicer. These necessary measures will save the agency well over
$1 million a year.
Because you are key partners in helping ISAC achieve its mission, I wanted to send this message rather than have you simply read a general press release on the matter. I think it's important for you to know that while these organizational changes are taking place, we understand that the need for our services has never been greater, and these changes will help our agency remain successful in fulfilling our mission efficiently and effectively.
The Commission will continue to focus on five core areas of operations: research, planning and policy analysis; program services (scholarships & grants administration); college access and outreach; College Illinois!® 529 prepaid tuition; and student lending. I'm especially excited about the new offering from our College Access and Outreach division - the ISACorps - as it significantly increases our field presence throughout the state to engage students, parents, and community members in college planning and preparedness programs.
I know many of your own organizations are experiencing fiscal and budgetary issues and making hard decisions as ISAC has had to. In addition to the staff reductions mentioned above, we are also adding three furlough days in which the agency will be closed, beginning with November 25 and December 24 of this year and a date to be determined in the first quarter of 2010. These dates were selected to minimize impact on students and schools, and this additional shared sacrifice will spare approximately six to eight additional jobs.
In addition to our internal issues at ISAC, we are also actively engaged with the Save Illinois MAP Grants campaign. I thank the many partners that have reached out to ISAC to work collaboratively to restore funding for this critically important student assistance program. Please visit saveillinoismapgrants.org on a regular basis for updated information.
Andy Davis
Executive Director
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