News Local/State

U of I Trustees Setting Search Committee, Exploring Supplemental Retirement Options

By The Associated Press, With Additional Reporting from Illinois Public Media
 

University of Illinois trustees will hold a special meeting Friday to name the 19 members of the search committee that will look for a new president.  They'll also look into options for a supplemental plan to help employees make up for an expected loss in pension funds.
 
U of I President Robert Easter has said he plans to retire in June 2015. The university has said it hopes to have a replacement selected by January.
 
The committee will include trustees, faculty members, students, as well representatives from UI Alumni Association and the UI Foundation, among others.
 
The trustees oversee all three university campuses and will have the final say on a replacement for Easter.
 
Easter has been president since 2012. He replaced Michael Hogan who resigned under pressure from faculty who were unhappy over his plans for the university.
 
Easter was previously a faculty member, dean, provost and chancellor on the Champaign-Urbana campus.

U of I administrators have looked at a few options for helping employees who expect to lose out on a portion of their retirement funds with last year's passage of the pension reform plan.  But the News-Gazette reports that no decision is expected at Friday's meeting.