SIU board tables decision on Carbondale chancellor
CARBONDALE, Ill. (AP) - The Southern Illinois University Board of Trustees on Wednesday decided against appointing a new chancellor to lead its Carbondale campus.
Board Chairman Randal Thomas said there were differences among board members on who would be best candidate for the post. He said board members want to personally interview the candidates before a decision is made.
The candidates for the post are interim SIU Carbondale Chancellor Brad Colwell; Oakland University in Michigan President George Hynd, and University of Alabama President Carl Pinkert.
One candidate, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Arts and Sciences dean J.S. Elwell, withdrew his name from consideration.
Thomas said board members intend to interview two other unnamed candidates who did not make the final four cut.
Thomas said the board is looking for a "visionary who will reshape what SIU Carbondale will become - the new Delyte Morris." Morris was SIU's president for 22 years beginning in 1948.
The new chancellor will replace Paul Sarvela who died in November 2014. An interim chancellor has served since then.
The board, meeting at Southern Illinois-Edwardsville, did authorize a plan to allow the Carbondale campus to borrow up to $35 million in unrestricted funds from the Edwardsville campus.
The board put in place terms for the borrowing arrangement, including the development a finanacial sustainability plan to address the fiscal crisis facing the Carbondale campus.
SIU System President Randy Dunn said the approved resolution attempted to address some of the concerns expressed by constituency group leaders on the Edwardsville campus. He said the cap on borrowing reemphasizes a requirement that Carbondale come up with a plan to reduce costs by July.
The board noted that without the loan agreement, the only option for continuing daily operations for the Carbondale campus would be the use of restricted funds. It note that would be a violation of Illinois law, bond covenants and other third-party restrictions.
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Information from: Southern Illinoisan, http://www.southernillinoisan.com