The Board of Trustees of Illinois State University approved a number of resolutions at its quarterly meeting on July 23, 2021. Full text of those resolutions can be found on the Board of Trustees website.
Election of Officers
The Board of Trustees voted in new officers. Dr. Mary Ann Louderback was elected board chair. Dr. Kathryn Bohn was elected secretary. Bios can be found on the Board of Trustees website.
Property insurance
The Board of Trustees authorized the University to purchase property insurance for FY 2022 for an annual premium not to exceed $1.1 million. Illinois State owns and maintains property and business interruption insurance valued at approximately $2.6 billion. Through its membership in the Midwestern Higher Education Compact and the Illinois Public Higher Education Cooperative (IPHEC), the University is able to purchase coverage from a collection of well-respected and financially sound insurance companies through the insurance broker Alliant Insurance Services, Inc. Funding comes from general revenue and auxiliary facilities system operating revenues.
Fire services agreement
Trustees authorized the yearly intergovernmental agreement between the Town of Normal and Illinois State for fire protection services for the University. The agreement for FY2022 includes a cost of $616,027. The agreement is modified each year to require a new reimbursement rate that reflects the higher municipal costs associated with providing fire protection services. The Town of Normal uses a price index to calculate the new reimbursement rate that is determined by the Illinois Municipal League and used in other university communities across the state. Funding comes from general revenue and auxiliary facilities system operating revenues.
Security contract
The Board authorized the University to enter into a new five-year contract with Securitas for unarmed campus security services. The new contract term covers August 1, 2021, through July 31, 2026, at a total cost not to exceed $5,010,000. Funding for the contract with Securitas comes from auxiliary facilities system operating revenues.
Shelbourne Apartments
Trustees approved a resolution declaring the University’s Shelbourne Apartments as surplus real estate and allowing University staff to begin the process of selling the property. Built in 1971, the 100-unit apartment complex, located on more than 25 acres at 300 E. Shelbourne Drive, Normal, served as housing for international students, graduate students, and students with families. The complex was fully decommissioned in 2017 after a comprehensive assessment identified the need for significant and costly facility updates that exceeded the strategic value of the property and desired University standards for current housing needs. The University will undertake a sale process including obtaining an appraisal of fair market value and an open and fully transparent solicitation process for purchasers. The State Property Control Act allows Illinois State to keep the proceeds from such a sale but requires that the money be kept in a separate account for the purpose of deferred maintenance and emergency repair of University property.
Multicultural Center room, library namings
Approval was given to name the Pride Office, located in room 136 of the University’s Multicultural Center, as the Jim Bennett and Terry Vanden Hoek Pride Office in recognition of their financial gift in support of Illinois State. Bennett ’87 is director of the Illinois Department of Human Rights and formerly served as Midwest regional director at Lambda Legal, the nation’s largest legal organization dedicated to securing the full civil rights of the LGBTQ community and people with HIV. Vanden Hoek is the chief medical officer and head of emergency medicine at the University of Illinois Health system. He is an expert in the biology of the heart and in preventing and treating heart attacks, particularly those leading to cardiac arrest.
The library and reading area located in the Multicultural Center has been named the Dr. Jeanne B. Morris and Dr. Charles E. Morris, Jr. Library and Reading Room in recognition of their financial gift in support of the University. Charles E. Morris, Jr. began his career at Illinois State in 1966 as an associate professor of mathematics. He was later elected first chairperson of the ISU Academic Senate, served as vice president for Administrative Services, and retired from the position of vice chancellor for Academic and Student Affairs with the Illinois Board of Regents. Jeanne B. Morris began her career at Illinois State in 1967 in the College of Education and was a faculty member for 26 years in the Departments of Elementary Education and Curriculum and Instruction. She authored many proposals and publications related to early childhood education including establishment of a Child Care Center at Illinois State and State Farm Insurance Company.
President Emeritus status
Trustees voted to confer the status of President Emeritus on Dr. Larry Dietz, who retired as Illinois State’s president on June 30, 2021. Dietz began his service at Illinois State in 2011 as vice president for Student Affairs and was named president in 2014. He was also a tenured associate professor in the Department of Educational Administration and Foundations.
