EIU Media Relations

EIU Board of Trustees meeting results: June 20, 2024

(Charleston, IL) — Eastern Illinois University’s regular June Board of Trustees meeting took place Thursday afternoon, June 20, in the Martin Luther King, Jr. University Union. Highlights and outcomes of the meeting included:

• A report on Inclusive Excellence at EIU from EIU President Jay Gatrell. The report focused on the efforts of EIU’s Office of Inclusion and Academic Engagement under the guidance of its Executive Director and Senior Diversity & Inclusion Officer John Blue.
• The conveyance of Buckler Farms to the EIU Foundation. The EIU Foundation was the trustee of Buckler Trust when the trust originally deeded the property to EIU in October 2014. The board’s action today transferred ownership of the asset to the EIU Foundation, leveraging the Foundation’s premier expertise in managing and administering University assets. Tangible assets can create opportunities for students, as examples, through the endowed scholarships they can create, or by providing opportunities for EIU to enter into beneficial community or regional partnerships that also help to advance the mission of the University.
• Approval of construction and maintenance work to EIU’s Greek Court area, just east of the corner of Roosevelt Drive and Ninth Street.

Other noteworthy items on the agenda included purchase agreements for print and mail and housing management services; the approval of the preliminary fiscal year 2025 budget; tenure for Dr. Ngozi Onuora, incoming chair for EIU’s Department of Teaching Learning & Foundations in the College of Education; and the renewal of the contract for EIU softball coach Tara Archibald. Brief updates on associated activities regarding Plan 2028—EIU’s newest five-year strategic plan also were discussed, as were a variety of other department- and unit-specific informational topics.

EIU prepares students to accomplish their life goals through a combination of quality academics, personal relationships, and both on-campus and online learning opportunities. For more information about Eastern Illinois University, including its broad array of academic and career readiness programs, or any of EIU’s other community-based services and opportunities, visit eiu.edu or call EIU’s public information office at (217) 581-7400.