U of I president being offered contract extension, pay raise

CHICAGO (AP) - University of Illinois President Tim Killeen is being offered a new contract that would extend his tenure four years and hike his annual compensation by about 40%, officials revealed Tuesday.

The contract would extend Killeen's presidency to 2024. His base pay would increase from $600,000 to $835,000.

In making the contract proposal, board members noted it ``reflects the trust of the board in President Killeen's leadership.'Å¥ Officials note that since Killeen became president in 2015, enrollment at the university system's campuses in Urbana-Champaign, Springfield and Chicago has increased 9.5% to 89,270 last fall.

Much of the enrollment increase has occurred at the university's Chicago campus, which has seen a nearly 15% increase in four years. Enrollment at the flagship campus in Urbana-Champaign has increased 10% since 2016, while Springfield has seen enrollment drop from 5,400 students in 2016 to 4,300 last fall.