EIU Board of Trustees meeting results: Thursday, January 22
Jan-22-2026
(Charleston, IL) – The Eastern Illinois University Board of Trustees held its regular January meeting today, January 22, in the Grand Ballroom of the Martin Luther King, Jr. University Union, located on campus at 600 Lincoln Avenue in Charleston.
Immediately following the 11:30 a.m. Call to Order and Roll Call, the Board entered into executive session. The open session of the meeting began at 1 p.m. The results of the meeting included:
- A welcome and executive summary report from Board Chair C. Christopher Hicks and associated committee reports from representative Trustees.
- Approval of the minutes of the regular November (2025) Board of Trustees meeting.
- Purchase approvals for a modification/contingency of the Lawson Hall cooling tower and Thomas Hall renovation plans.
- The approval of a five-year administrative master contract between EIU and the EIU Foundation Board, active July 2025 through June 2030 with a five-year annual renewal option through 2035.
- Approval of a lease transfer of Baber Woods Nature Conservancy to local non-profit Grand Prairie Friends, in conjunction with the property’s 2025 conveyance to reassign rights and obligations under the lease. The land comprises approximately 60 acres in Edgar County.
- The approval of a new General Studies Associate of Arts degree, which will be offered by EIU’s College of Liberal Arts & Sciences specifically to assist former bachelor-seeking EIU students who left the University prior to earning a degree. Anticipated to begin in Fall 2026, EIU’s new A.A. degree will serve a sizeable and growing population of students who have earned EIU credits but no degree. For students without community college reverse transfer options, EIU’s A.A. in General Studies will provide the only avenue for timely completion of a credential.
- Informational items from EIU President Jay Gatrell, including:
- An update on the EIU Observatory by EIU Observatory Director Dr. Robert Strausbaugh
- A Faculty Senate update and Student Senate update from campus constituencies
- The Deposits and Investments Performance Report for fiscal quarter ending December 31, 2025
- An FY25 Financial Aid summary
- University Highlights
EIU's list of 2026 regular meeting dates is publicly available at eiu.edu/trustees. Agendas, tables of contents and board reports are available in advance of upcoming meetings on the University's website at eiu.edu/trustees/documents.php.
