Board Chair Montel Gales said the university’s board of trustees voted unanimously to close its public meeting to discuss collective bargaining, litigation and risk management, real estate matters, student disciplinary cases and personnel matters under the Illinois Open Meetings Act. "An appropriate notice has been provided pursuant to the Illinois Open Meetings Act," the board’s parliamentarian, Mr. Perra, told the chair.

The board approved the meeting agenda and the minutes from the regular board meeting of June 12, 2025, before taking the vote to close the public session. A motion to close the public meeting was seconded by Trustee Dennis Barsima and carried on a roll-call vote with all trustees present voting yes: Trustee Rita Athas; Trustee Dennis Barsima; Vice Chair John Butler; Trustee Veronica Herrero; Trustee James Innes; Trustee Leland Strom; Trustee Eric Watsowitz; and Board Chair Montel Gales.

University advisory committee representatives present said they had no comments, and the board secretary reported one member of the public, Mr. Burns, had registered to speak but was not present. The board noted its next regular meeting is scheduled for Sept. 25, 2025, at 9 a.m. The chair said the board did not plan to take up any new business after the closed session.

The motion to close cited specific subsections of the Illinois Open Meetings Act when describing topics authorized for closed-session discussion: closed-session minutes, collective bargaining, litigation and risk management, real estate, student disciplinary matters and personnel matters. The board took the roll-call vote to close the meeting immediately after the motion.

No substantive policy debate or public comment on the listed closed-session topics was recorded in the open meeting minutes; the subjects were enumerated only in the chair’s call for a closed session and the parliamentarian’s reading of the notice.

The meeting proceeded to closed session by unanimous roll call; no formal action taken in open session on the closed-session subjects was recorded.