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SIU Trustees Talk Leadership Vacancies, Flight Expenses and Enrollment

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Southern Illinois University Trustees have approved plans to hire an interim Chancellor for the Edwardsville and Carbondale campuses, and face another vacancy in addition to those.

Edwardsville's interim leader will serve a one-year term. Carbondale's will be appointed for two years. President Randy Dunn says that's a strategic choice.
"There's quite a bit of work backed up behind the dam that may not be bad for a two-year interim to come in and take on, and really create some strong underpinnings and strengthen the campus, then, to get back into the search."

Dunn says the candidates for each position will likely come from within the university. He says he hopes to have both in place by the time the fall semester starts in August.

Meanwhile SIU School of Medicine Dean Kevin Dorsey announced he will step down from his post in December and return to teaching. Trustees instructed Dunn to prepare a plan to fill that vacancy sometime this fall.

A published report shows Southern Illinois University spent nearly $180,000 to fly administrators, faculty, and guests from place to place, but President Dunn says the report doesn't properly illustrate the use of the planes or their benefits.

He says in an SIU budget that nears $900 million, this is not a big expense.

"While we want to be judicious, we want to be careful in providing access to those flights, we want to be mindful of our responsibility to students and taxpayers, I certainly don't think that what we saw in the use of the planes has been over the top or exorbitant."

Dunn says the flights also provide training for SIU students who hope to be pilots someday, and they cut down on time lost in driving from Carbondale to Springfield, Chicago, or other destinations.

Enrollment at SIU Carbondale for the summer semester was down, but administrators say it's not all bad news.

President Dunn says overall enrollment at SIUC was down about seven percent this term, at roughly 67-hundred students.

But Dunn says the school made a conscious decision to offer fewer classes as well, focusing on quality over quantity. He says that choice means SIU will not lose money on the summer semester this year.

As for the fall, Dunn says projections show enrollment staying nearly flat. He says many indicators show the number of returning students may be up, while new freshmen might be soft.

 

 

Jennifer Fuller joined Capitol News Illinois in July 2023 as the organization’s broadcast director. She will oversee the launch and operations of CNI’s new broadcast division.

Contact Jennifer Fuller at jfuller@capitolnewsillinois.com
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