Proposal fails that was send SIU-Edwardsville more funding

CARBONDALE, Ill. (AP) - Southern Illinois University's board of trustees voted Thursday not to reallocate state funding from the school's Carbondale campus to its Edwardsville campus.

The proposal to move an additional $5.1 million to the Edwardsville campus was made to reflect changes in the number of students enrolled at each site. It also included a plan to conduct a study to help officials eventually come up with a new formula to decide how much money each campus should get in the future.

The measure received four "yes" votes, three "no" votes and one abstention from the trustees.

After the vote, SIU-Edwardsville Chancellor Randy Pembrook said the study is still expected to take place, but that there is no timeline for when it could happen. He said SIU President Randy Dunn plans to find a consultant.

During a public comment period, School of Law professor Trish McCubbin presented a resolution calling for a delay in the decision on a funding reallocation. She argued the proposal was based on inaccurate and misleading data.

"We are one system, and the health of one campus affects the health of another campus," McCubbin said. "We should be working to strengthen resources together as a whole rather than pitting one campus against another."

Supporters of a shift in state funding argued SIU-Edwardsville should get a larger share than it has previously because enrollment there is almost the same as its Carbondale counterpart.

SIU-Carbondale, a research university, is to receive nearly $91.3 million in fiscal 2018, while SIU-Edwardsville is to get nearly $51.6 million.

Pembrook said an increase in state funding would help his campus put more money into programs that are growing, including nursing and online classes. He added it would also help more students enroll by either keeping tuition where it is or by adding scholarships.

Dunn had recommended that trustees approve the proposal. However, SIU-Carbondale Chancellor Carlo Montemagno said it could threaten the university's financial stability.

Last year, the Board of Trustees approved a loan of up to $35 million to Carbondale from SIU-Edwardsville's reserves. The Carbondale campus repaid the internal, no-interest loan with its share of the state funding from the current academic year, according to Pembrook.