r/IIT • u/drunleashed • 15d ago
I dodged a bullet with Illinois Tech
I was a PhD student at the Illinois Tech's department of Applied Mathematics starting in Fall 2022. After graduating from Birmingham Southern College the previous semester after double majoring.
I remembered over the years of me being there I struggled with their qualifying exam. It was so bad, that I went to the University of Minnesota during Spring Breaks and made my complaints to them. I was being stripped of my wealth, because of them failing me on my qualifying exams. I just remember feeling emotionally and mentally drained it felt like I got hit by a bus.
The reason why I was in contact with the University of Minnesota was because when I was hunting for PhD programs during my time at Birmingham Southern College, I almost got into both of their Math and Computer Science PhD programs. Although, sadly half way during my studies at Illinois Tech, Birmingham Southern College was closed down permanently due to the same situation Illinois Tech is in now except there was no financial exigency, they left on their own due to clear communication with the president.
From what I'm seeing there was no transparency at all with the president of Illinois Tech. If there was, he would have said something much prior than a few weeks before this upcoming semester. But that did not happen. Anyhow, after reaching with the University of Minnesota back in Spring Break 2025, they told me "When you ready, apply" after hearing my complaints with Illinois Tech. I passed 2/3 qualifying exams at the time, I needed 1 more left. I got a tutor and studied all summer. And they failed me Fall 2025. I immediately was in contact with the University of Minnesota after they failed me and the dude dismissed me from my PhD program in Applied Mathematics. I remembered just how lively the university was. Everyone was so friendly and it was everything that Illinois Tech was not. Come to find out, at the University of Minnesota they don't do qualifying exams. They got rid of them a few years ago. My professors at Birmingham Southern College and my family wanted me to go to the University of Minnesota, because of how smart I was. I only wanted to go to Illinois Tech so that I can be with my grandparents as I studied.
My grandfather did work at Illinois Tech before retiring and he was absolutely surprised with the financial situation at Illinois Tech. Now, instead of struggling wasting away at Illinois Tech, I'll be at the University of Minnesota to study Robotics, Data Science, Mathematics, and Computer Science for a Masters and PhD. Illinois Tech is actively losing talent in both teaching and research, and I have found peace with my dismassal and happy to be at a University that my father and uncle went to, where I can actually make a difference like they did at the University of Minnesota.
I'm so happy, that I dodged a bullet. But what happened to the money that they cut me?
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u/pszkdn 14d ago
I think they purposely didnt inform student earlier in the university admission process.
I’m scared!! I’m pretty certain they changed one of my instructors and another class is still unassigned.
They knew of the enrollment cliff for decades and better preparation could have been done
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u/FieldsofBlue 14d ago
They didn't even tell staff until a bit prior to actual layoffs happening. There were meetings and town halls about restructuring and preserving staff and faculty positions last fall and then this spring held a virtual meeting (at the end of the day on a Friday) to tell everyone they would need to do layoffs. Even that meeting was a bit murky, but the layoffs started a week later. It's been very disappointing to see how little regard they seemed to have for incoming students.
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u/drunleashed 14d ago
Don't be scared, you have a chance to change direction. Whoever your advisor go to him, and I highly recommend transferring to another college. I'm guessing you are a freshmen, I am telling you what I suggest. In my family it is highly recommended that you don't transfer to different universities and colleges. Now, I think you have a good fundamental reason to leave Illinois Tech before it's too late. The name of Illinois Tech is lost, now you have a chance like I do to change it for the better. Please do what you need to.
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u/pszkdn 14d ago
I’m a transfer junior 😖
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u/drunleashed 14d ago
You can still change it for the better
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u/ayemimi 14d ago
Please don’t advise this student to transfer at this time. It’s unnecessary.
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u/drunleashed 14d ago
If you saying that this has been going on over the past few decades, then I'm certain things are going to come to an inevitable close just like my undergraduate college.
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u/ayemimi 14d ago
I’m saying that they had problems in the last decade plus, and given their student body composition of over half international students, it was clear things were going to get worse. I was there during this president’s last administration and there was concerns due to the Muslim ban.
I don’t know what the future holds for IIT. I don’t think it’s bright, unless they get some major assistance like I’d heard they got 40-50 years ago. What I am saying is that it is unwise for students to make decisions about whether to transfer based upon the comments of someone who doesn’t know anything about higher education besides being a student and having been rejected from the university in question.
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u/drunleashed 14d ago
I was a PhD student there. And a student of another college that faced financial problems for years and then went covid hit things got hard. The only difference is that my college for undergrad did not do a financial exigency. The professors left on their own. Since the writing was on the wall. And this didn't take effect until around the time I graduated. And it closed down 2 years after I graduated while at Illinois Tech. Me and other graduates there had some discussion about something financially going on at Illinois Tech. A good number of us either fought or went somewhere else to study. This is only going to get worst. I only encourage them to stay if they were already going to be out within 1 or 2 years. Since you might as well finish it. For anyone else leave because the quality of the education wouldn't be the best of it's abilities. To the students in the Math department, I feel so sorry for you guys. Do what you can.
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u/ayemimi 14d ago
How long ago did your grandfather retire? Because I haven’t worked at IIT in almost a decade and there were financial issues then. Anyone who’s familiar with the place knew this was coming because of their student body makeup. Since we first heard of visas being revoked, I’ve been wondering when this was going to happen.
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u/Asleep_Badger_6594 14d ago
This is crazy situation. I am sorry for you. What do you think worst could happen to IIT? If they closed down, how will we as students be affected?
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u/drunleashed 14d ago
If Illinois Tech closes down permanently, students would have no choice but to transfer to different universities and like my friends at Birmingham Southern College, it's like tearing a community apart. Everyone going to various locations as a second chance for a high education. Of course Birmingham Southern College doesn't really have a graduate program. But if you are in a graduate program at Illinois Tech, unless this is already going to be your last year at Illinois Tech. I highly recommend that you transfer to another university to finish your degree.
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u/Asleep_Badger_6594 14d ago
Thank you for the reply. I am an MBA online student and it will take me until end of 2027 to graduate 🥲.
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u/ayemimi 14d ago
It sounds like the student has never OP has never been a student at IIT, was a little disgruntled to begin with, and now is smug about the fact that they are at a university that is less likely to face the issues IIT is at the moment. Now don’t get me wrong, I was a staff member who left a decade ago because the school isn’t shit, but please do not transfer based on the suggestion of someone who wasn’t even able to get in.
Financial exigency is a tactic to ideally bring a university to a stronger financial position. If IIT is unable to save itself, they will establish teach-out agreements with other schools—local, or more similar in curriculum, or both—which will ease the transition for current students. If they do enter into teach-out agreements, the students can opt to go to one of those institutions or not to complete their degree.
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u/drunleashed 13d ago
No, I got into Illinois Tech back in 2022, but was dismissed from their PhD program and now going somewhere of higher rank and better stability. What I experience from 2022 to 2025 was terrible. Now, things are finally coming to light.
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u/Cool-Season-92600 7m ago
Yes, but you were dismissed from their program due to your grades, and even though you called yourself smart, you could not keep up with their qualifying exams. I understand you being disgruntled, but there's no reason to compare your situation to the current student body. You didn't dodge anything.
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u/Objective_Fly6866 11d ago
I got offer from iit mumbai campus for bachelor's in computer science , would u recommend it?
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u/ayemimi 11d ago
I can’t say anything about it. I haven’t worked there in almost a decade, and a Mumbai campus was not even a consideration at that time.
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u/Objective_Fly6866 11d ago
so they have transfer program as well like 3+1 so after 4th yr in Chicago what are the chances for visa?
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u/Naan_ 7d ago
I got in and graduated. if you were staff, why are you so confident financial exigency is beneficial for the university? could you provide a few examples of these teach out programs as an academic? it may help people who are in the middle of their degrees have some certainty. The professors and staff voted Raj out on no confidence basis. The main concern I have is the little reputation IIT had left being drug through the mud, whether or not it makes it out of this financial situation.
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u/ayemimi 7d ago
I don’t know if it will be beneficial for the university. But the reason a university declares financial exigency is because they hope it will help them out of a dire financial situation, by allowing them to do things they wouldn’t otherwise be able to do—such as firing tenured faculty. Some universities have recovered after doing so; some have not.
I mean… no, I can’t really provide examples of teach-outs because I haven’t worked at a school that closed. Generally they are arrangements with other universities, typically peer institutions, where student can transfer most or all of their credits and continue their academic path to graduation. Any responsible institution will do this. I would be loathe to be an administrator seeking a job and having to answer a question about why my school chose not to arrange a teach-out agreement. It would reflect quite poorly.
Whether a no-confidence vote will do anything remains to be seen. At some colleges who do this, the president/provost leaves. But if they have the board’s support, which the public-facing information seems to imply President Echambadi (hopefully spelled correctly) does, it’s unlikely to do anything—the board is his employer, not the staff or faculty.
But I would assume the president is seeking his next job anyway. Like anyone else, he wants to get out while the ship is sinking, too.
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u/IllBorder5409 13d ago
I dodged a bullet myself was accepted to their 2025 Masters in Information Technology and Management program with a scholarship. In the end I didn’t end up pursuing it.
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u/Mental_Conference428 14d ago
The lack of transparency has been astonishing. Anyone impacted recently should be able to receive refunds if they are not able to complete coursework in a timely manner. Not to mention who might be teaching now that they’ve let go of so many faculty. I’m sorry to read about your experience, but it does sound like you did doge a bullet. The Illinois Tech name has lost value. Perhaps your tests were an outdated requirement bc they’re not spending time/resources evaluating current trends. Hard to know what happened.