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SIU trustees approve tuition adjustments and a slate of finance and procurement items
Summary
The Southern Illinois University Board of Trustees approved temporary FY27 financial authority, modest tuition adjustments for SIUC and targeted fee changes at SIUE, and multiple procurement and facilities contracts, while trustees said the moves are intended to protect operations and advance campus priorities amid enrollment and budget pressures.
The Southern Illinois University Board of Trustees approved a package of finance and procurement measures aimed at keeping operations steady while the system finalizes its FY27 budget.
At a system meeting in Carbondale and Edwardsville, trustees voted to authorize a temporary resolution allowing the university to continue operating under FY26 budget terms until the system presents a full FY27 proposal later this year. Vice President Justin Oates told trustees that the stopgap measure would prevent disruptions while state budget and enrollment variables are finalized.
The board also approved a proposed 2% tuition increase for undergraduate and graduate students at SIU Carbondale for the 2026'27 academic year. Chancellor Lane said the modest adjustment is intended to sustain essential resources, support faculty and staff and maintain program quality amid rising costs; he said student leaders had been consulted. "This modest proposed increase helps to sustain essential resources," Lane said.
SIU Edwardsville sought a different approach. Chancellor Minor asked trustees to approve targeted changes, including no general undergraduate tuition increase for most students, a 4% tuition adjustment in the School of Pharmacy, modest housing increases (3—6% depending on room type), and a roughly 2% increase in an international exchange bundled fee. Minor described the package as "measured and student-centered" and said the changes preserve affordability for the vast majority of students.
The finance committee approved several large procurement and contract items. The board authorized a three-year Microsoft licensing agreement for the SIU system with a total cost of $5,180,000, and approved purchases and contract renewals for the SIU School of Medicine, including pharmaceutical purchasing under the federal 340B program and locum tenens physician coverage contracts (presented as one-year awards at $3.4 million and $2.8 million). Dean Cruz also presented a three-year HVAC maintenance agreement for the School of Medicine with Johnson Controls Building Services at $5,658,336 and a 10-year lease renewal with Decatur Memorial Hospital for roughly $13.3 million.
Trustees and university leaders framed the votes as practical steps to manage near-term fiscal risk while investing in priority operations and capital projects. "This ensures that no disruption to university operations will take place as we finalize the FY27 budget," Oates said. The motions passed on roll-call votes in committee and were carried in the omnibus board action later in the meeting.
The board set a schedule to return with formal FY27 proposals informed by state budget actions and enrollment forecasts. The next regular meeting was set for July 9 at the SIU School of Medicine.
