New hires, rehires and other employment issues topped the agenda of the U. of I. Board of Trustees at its July 25 meeting at UIC.
Trustees voted to extend the contract of University President Bob Easter through June 30, 2015, and add performance incentives to his original $450,000 salary. He became university president July 1, 2012. At that time, his term of office was set to extend through July 30, 2014, "or until a successor has been appointed."
"There is a consensus, not just on the board but throughout the institution, on campuses and among external audiences, that this first year has gone very well indeed," said Tom Hardy, the executive director for university relations.
Easter, 65, has spent nearly four decades at the U. of I. - including positions as dean, interim chancellor and interim vice chancellor on the Urbana campus. He came to the U. of I. in 1973 as a graduate student, and earned his doctorate in animal science in 1976. He joined the faculty that same year, and later served as head of the department of animal science from 1996 to 2001, as dean of the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences from 2002 to 2009, and as interim chancellor of the Urbana campus from 2009 to 2011.
An expert in livestock nutrition, Easter is a co-author of a book on livestock production and has written more than 90 peer-reviewed articles, 11 book chapters and numerous papers for conferences and industry publications. He also has spoken to audiences in the U.S. and 30 nations on livestock feeding.
In 2006, he was appointed by President George W. Bush to the Board for International Food and Agricultural Development, and was appointed as chair of the board in 2007. He also is a member of the American Society of Animal Science and the British Society of Animal Science, and serves on the Illinois Agricultural Leadership Foundation and the Governor's Committee on China.
Easter succeeded former president Michael Hogan, who resigned in March 2012. Hogan's annual salary was $651,000.
Board Chairman Christopher G. Kennedy said Easter's leadership brought continuity to the university after Hogan's resignation, along with strategies that will advance the U. of I.'s standing as one of the world's premier public research universities.
"Bob has a rare combination of talents - a model of stability who can also bring about change through the trust and respect he has earned during his nearly four decades of distinguished service to the university." Kennedy said. "The trustees are pleased that Dr. Easter has agreed to extend his service. We could have launched a search for a new president, but we wouldn't find a better choice than the president we have on the job right now."
The board's executive committee will evaluate Easter's performance on goals set for last year and recommend a performance bonus to be awarded in September.
The executive committee will also recommend performance goals and bonuses for each year of Easter's remaining contract.
Rehiring retirees
In accordance with a change in state law, trustees amended a university policy on the re-employment of retired employees covered by the State Universities Retirement System.
The new policy, effective Aug. 1, limits the period of time SURS annuitants can work for the university and the amount they can be paid without a penalty to the employing unit.
The policy applies to all retired employees, including faculty members, and administrative, civil service and temporary/hourly employees.
Senior administrators cannot be rehired to their previous or similar positions without board approval "based on exceptional circumstances and a clear and compelling benefit to the university," the policy states.
Other retirees can be rehired without board approval for teaching and other student services, funded research, patient care or "staff functions when other options are not feasible."
The appointment of retirees who receive monthly annuity payments from SURS must be reported to the board; reporting is not required for those who receive their annuity through the self-managed plan or lump sum payment.
New hires
The board approved the appointment of several administrators:
- Jerry Bauman, the dean of the College of Pharmacy at UIC, was appointed interim vice president for health affairs, effective Sept. 1.
- Andreas C. Cangellaris, the head of the department of electrical and computer engineering, was appointed dean of the College of Engineering at Urbana, effective Aug. 16.
- Fritz Drasgow was appointed interim dean of the School of Labor and Employment Relations in Urbana. Drasgow is a professor in the school and in the department of psychology.
- Robert J. Hauser was reappointed dean of the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences in Urbana. Hauser became dean in 2010 and under the extension he will serve an additional year, through Aug. 15, 2014.
- Brian H. Ross, a professor of psychology, was appointed interim dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences in Urbana.
- Janet S. Slater was appointed dean of the College of Media in Urbana. Slater has served as interim dean since 2010.
- John P. Wilkin has been named university librarian and dean of libraries at Urbana, effective Aug. 16. Wilkin is currently associate university librarian at the University of Michigan.
Trustees approve funding for hospital renovation
Funding for a major, $85 million renovation of the U. of I. Medical Center in Chicago was approved by the U. of I. Board of Trustees during its meeting July 25 at UIC.
Trustees authorized issuing up to $77 million in bonds to finance the project, which will provide electrical, mechanical, plumbing and other infrastructure upgrades needed to maintain the 33-year-old medical center and its existing programs.
University officials said renovations are required to sustain effective medical center operations and meet patient-care needs for the next 10 to 20 years. The medical center serves more than 400,000 patients annually, many from under-served families.
"These improvements are critical to ensure that the University of Illinois Medical Center continues to serve the needs of the community and remains competitive in Chicago's health-care system," said Walter Knorr, the vice president and chief financial officer.
The project will include modernization of the hospital's heating and cooling, electrical, plumbing and elevator systems. A two-story addition also will be built at the hospital's main building at 1740 W. Taylor St. to create a new lobby.
Renovations are expected to be completed in 2017 and will not affect patient care or services.
Work began in 2010 after trustees approved the $40 million first phase of the project, and those improvements are 50 percent complete. The board expanded the project last November, doubling the budget.
The board originally planned to approve a bond sale to finance the project in January, but held off because of uncertainties about state bond ratings and an unexpected drop in Medicaid reimbursements from the state. Since then, the university has negotiated a new reimbursement rate that restores Medicaid revenue and bolsters the hospital's ability to finance the debt.
The target sale date for the 30-year bonds is mid-August, with an estimated interest rate of 5.674 percent.