The Board of Trustees of Illinois State University approved a number of resolutions at its quarterly meeting on May 7, 2021. Full text of those resolutions can be found on the Board of Trustees website.
Tuition, fees, and room and board rates
The Board of Trustees approved tuition, fees, and room and board rates for the 2021-2022 academic year. There is no increase in tuition or required student fees. The last time the University raised the tuition rate was for the 2017-2018 academic year. Trustees authorized a 3 percent increase in both housing and dining costs for the 2021-2022 academic year. That combination results in a moderate overall cost increase of $296, or 1.2 percent. This increase places total cost of attendance for a full-time undergraduate student, including student health insurance, at $25,465 before financial aid is applied.
New undergraduate students from Illinois will pay $384.13 per credit hour in tuition for the 2021-2022 academic year, the same rate as the previous year. Under Illinois’s Truth-in-Tuition statute, new undergraduate students this coming fall will continue to pay this rate through summer of 2025. In-state tuition for graduate students will be $403.59 per credit hour. The Truth-in-Tuition statute does not apply to graduate tuition rates.
The mandatory student fees for the 2021-2022 academic year will remain at $107.78 per credit hour, the same rate from the previous academic year. Academic learning spaces, both on campus and virtual, continue to be directly enhanced with these fees.
Housing costs will increase by a modest 3 percent. Students will pay between $2,747 and $4,697 per semester, depending on the type of residence hall room (multiple occupancy, single, or super single). Rates for Cardinal Court apartments will range from $4,272 to $5,976 per semester, depending on apartment configuration and occupancy.
Dining rates will increase by 3 percent over the previous academic year. Residential meal plans range in price from $2,213 to $2,376 per semester.
M.A., M.S. in English Education
Trustees approved an M.A., M.S. in English Education program. The program is designed for certified secondary English Language Arts (ELA) teachers who wish to deepen their knowledge of socially just ELA content, pedagogy, and research.
College of Engineering
Trustees authorized Illinois State University to seek approval from the Illinois Board of Higher Education (IBHE) to establish a College of Engineering. Establishment of a new College of Engineering is considered the establishment of a new unit of instruction that requires IBHE approval. The proposed College of Engineering is to serve as the administrative and academic structure for future degrees in electrical, mechanical, and general engineering. A request for authorization to offer degrees in engineering will come at a later date following the development of curriculum for the degrees in accordance with University policies and procedures. This resolution does not commit Illinois State University to expend any funds at this time. Assuming approval by IBHE, further development of a College of Engineering that would involve expending funds for formal development of the college and related facilities would require approval by the Board of Trustees in the future.
FY2022 spending authorization
Trustees authorized University officials to expend funds according to the FY2022 Spending Authorization by Object and Function of Expenditure until the Board takes further action on the FY2022 operating budget. FY2022 state appropriations to Illinois State University are not yet known and this action allows the University to meet its financial obligations beginning July 1.
Foundation support agreement
The University was authorized to extend a contract with the Illinois State University Foundation for development and fundraising services for FY2022. The contract stipulates those services will be provided for in-kind consideration not to exceed $2,760,000. The Foundation, a private corporation, works to solicit, secure and manage private gifts and other resources to support Illinois State’s educational and research mission.
Building renovations for temporary space
Trustees approved a project to renovate spaces to temporarily accommodate classrooms, labs, and offices during the upcoming rehabilitation of the Wonsook Kim College of Fine Arts facilities. The $15 million project for temporary spaces includes renovations and upgrades to the first floor of Milner Library, the first floor of Julian Hall, the first and third floors of Cook Hall, and the ISU Weavers building. The project will be paid for through institutional funds. The University will also explore 10-year financing options. The renovation of temporary spaces will help to expedite the larger state-funded $61.9 million rehabilitation of the Wonsook Kim College of Fine Arts facilities. That larger project will include demolition of the existing Centennial West Building, and renovations in the Center for Visual Arts Building, new space additions to the Center for Performing Arts, and the Center for Visual Arts Buildings, and the construction of a new “Commons” replacement building on the site of the current Centennial West Building.
Mennonite College of Nursing simulation lab
Trustees approved the construction of a new, two-story nursing simulation laboratory building to be connected to Mennonite College of Nursing’s existing modular simulation lab building. The $17 million project will include demolition of existing university owned buildings at 402 and 404 West Locust St. in Normal to make way for the new 20,000-gross-square-foot building. The properties on West Locust were originally purchased by the University using auxiliary facilities system funds. State guidelines require that academic buildings be owned and operated using general revenue funds. Trustees also approved the transfer of an amount not to exceed $1 million in general revenue funds to compensate the auxiliary facilities system for the acquisition of the properties. The new nursing simulation lab will allow Mennonite College of Nursing to significantly increase its enrollment in the coming years. The project will be paid for using general revenue funds, academic enhancement fee money, and unrestricted reserves.
Contracts
• Authorization for the University to enter into a six-month extension of the current agreement with Connect Transit for transportation services for the period of July 1, 2021, to December 31, 2021. Connect Transit continues to search for a new general manager who is responsible for negotiating third-party agreements. Contract negotiations between the University and Connect Transit remain ongoing and are not anticipated to be completed prior to the June 30, 2021 expiration date. The agreement allows University faculty, staff, and students to use their Redbird Card as a bus pass. The extension is not to exceed $289,068. Funding comes from student fee revenues.
• Approval of a five-year contract with the Alpha Baking Company for bread products for the University’s Event Management, Dining and Hospitality (EMDH) area at a cost not to exceed $1 million. Funding comes from the EMDH dining operating account.
• Authorization for TechZone and Student Technologies to provide Apple products and services to University departments, faculty, staff, students, and the greater ISU community through FY2026 for an annual amount not to exceed $1.7 million. Funding comes from local agency funds and institutional funds.
• Authorization for a three-year contract with Microsoft for software licensing and support at a total cost not to exceed $1.7 million. The contract will be paid with institutional funds.
• Authorization of a five-year contract with Oracle Corporation for maintenance and support of campus-wide applications including the University’s iPeople human resource management system, Campus Solutions student information system, Oracle Database, and Oracle Advanced Security/Data Guard. The contract, with a total cost not to exceed $5 million, is paid for through institutional funds.
• Approval of a contract with FieldTurf for resurfacing of the University’s outdoor track at a cost not to exceed $650,000. The work will be paid for with stadium fieldhouse permanent improvement funds.
Namings
• Approval was given for naming the sub-room within the Bohn-Nielsen Resource Room in Julian Hall as the “Dr. Anthony Liberta Study Suite.” This gift from Dr. Kathy Bohn and Dr. Tom Nielsen recognizes Bohn’s faculty mentor at Illinois State.
• Approval was given for naming Room 110 in the Multicultural Center as “Alma’s Family Room” in recognition of Alma Samuels. A gift to support programming within the Multicultural Center was made by Samuels’ daughters Carmelita Brown, Camille Taylor, and Michelle Garner.
• Approval was given for naming the Student Exhibition Space in Milner Library as the “Russel E. and Barbara J. Benway Student Art Exhibition Area.” Barbara J. Benway has committed a cash gift to Milner Library and a pending estate gift to the Wonsook Kim College of Fine Arts.
• Approval was given for naming the College of Education Student Success Center as the “Larry and Barbara Efaw Center for Educator Excellence” in recognition of their financial gift in support of the University.
Trustee recognition
The Board of Trustees expressed their appreciation for the service of outgoing Student Trustee Jada Turner and former Trustee Sharon Rossmark. Rossmark was granted the title of Trustee Emeritus.
