SIU Board approves travel, finance and tuition measures; funds, contracts and salary pool cleared

The Southern Illinois University Board of Trustees voted to approve a series of finance and administrative items, including temporary fiscal-year 2026 spending authority, authorization to issue certificates of participation to finance medical‑school facilities, proposed tuition and fee adjustments across campuses, multiple procurement contracts and a 2% salary increase pool for non‑represented employees.

The actions were presented and approved during the board’s finance committee and full‑board sessions. Senior Vice President Duane Stuckey framed the finance items as routine but necessary actions to preserve operations and to finance capital priorities, and trustees moved them to a full‑board vote following committee recommendations.

Why this matters: the package authorizes near‑term spending and long‑term financing that affect capital projects (including two School of Medicine properties), proposed student fees and tuition rates, and recurring personnel costs. Several items also authorize multi‑year contracts and purchases that fund clinical operations, student services and professional preparation programs.

Key approvals and outcomes (votes at a glance):

- Election of Sarah Salager as board secretary — Approved (unanimous roll call). Motion to nominate by the chair; seconded. The roll call recorded all voting trustees present as voting yes.

- Temporary financial arrangements for FY 2026 — Approved. The measure grants authority to continue paying university expenses until a formal FY26 budget is presented at the September board meeting.

- Authorization for sale and issuance of Certificates of Participation (COPS) to finance two School of Medicine building purchases and to refinance a remaining COP balance — Approved. The board authorized approximately 25‑year financing; the presentation estimated an interest rate in the mid‑4% range and noted projected savings from the refinance.

- Tuition/fee and student‑service fee proposals — Approved. Highlights included no undergraduate tuition increase at SIU Carbondale (except School of Medicine programs), proposed modest increases for School of Medicine student fees, a proposed new $26-per-credit‑hour textbook fee at SIUC, and new or increased campus health and counseling fees intended to expand mental‑health and health services. SIUE proposals included selected tuition increases in nursing and dental programs, room and board adjustments, and a new alternate tuition pathway for eligible international students after two semesters.

- Procurement and contracts — Approved. Significant items included a five‑year contract renewal for BarBri bar‑exam preparation for Simmons Law students, authorization to purchase real estate for expanding School of Medicine facilities (Springfield and Quincy items), continued use of locum‑tenens contracts for temporary clinical staffing, and approval to retain pharmacy supply channels that support the 340B program. The board also authorized various local leases and smaller capital purchases as presented in committee.

- Salary increase pool for FY 2025 (2% for non‑represented faculty and staff, effective 01/16/2024 distribution during FY25) — Approved.

Details and context: board staff and campus leaders described how many of the purchases and contracts are funded from non‑appropriated funds or existing budgets. For example, the Simmons Cancer Institute reported that its oral chemotherapy pharmacy has operated with positive monthly retained revenue (reported at about $150,000–$180,000 per month) and the institute has used retained revenue to support clinical expansion. The COPS issuance will finance prior board‑approved building purchases and refinance remaining 2014 COPs to capture projected savings.

Trustee oversight and next steps: trustees emphasized transparency and requested follow‑up reporting on procedures and implementation for major items; final construction budgets and specific debt issuance terms will return to the board for final approval as required.

Votes and provenance: each committee item was introduced in committee (finance committee opening at the board meeting) and then moved to the full board for final roll call votes. The finance committee record and roll calls were part of the meeting record.