EIU Media Relations

EIU President Jay Gatrell delivers EIU’s spring update

New programs, strategic realignments, campus projects positioning EIU for enduring success

(Charleston, IL) – An assembly of Eastern Illinois University students, faculty and staff gathered this morning to hear EIU President Jay Gatrell deliver the University’s annual spring update. Speaking to a crowd in Dvorak Concert Hall in EIU’s Doudna Fine Arts Center, Gatrell offered updates and insight about a variety of EIU and higher education topics. Some highlights included:

• The launch of Navigate 360—a system providing holistic early alerts that allows EIU to offer immediate support to students who need it most. Navigate 360 will modernize student communication, course scheduling, and advising, ensuring EIU’s operations are as student-centered as possible.
• EIU’s “Firsts Hub” initiative, which will eventually comprise five student-focused spaces and resources across campus. The initiatives first offering, the First-Gen Hub, opened last fall in McAfee, and provides academic resources and engagement opportunities to first-generation students by connecting learners and leaders across divisions.
• A new Associate of Arts Degree in General Studies, anticipated to begin in Fall 2026 following IBHE approval. EIU’s A.A. in General Studies degree program is specifically designed to assist former bachelor-seeking EIU students who left the University prior to earning a degree.

Gatrell provided an update on EIU’s updated academic footprint moving forward. After gathering more than 20 proposals and collecting collaborative feedback in a process that began nearly a year ago, Gatrell indicated the University is intentionally prepared to move forward by merging the College of Education and the College of Health and Human Services; by creating more closely unified Schools—one encompassing English and World Languages, one incorporating Communication, Journalism and Theatre; one containing Engineering, Mathematics, Computer Science, and Physics; and one coupling the School of Art + Design with the Tarble Museum of Art—and by combining a handful of congruent departments within existing EIU Colleges. Gatrell said the decision mirrors similar models at several of EIU’s peer institutions. Most importantly, Gatrell added, taking these actions will preserve all of EIU’s existing program and degree offerings while ensuring a minimum of eight faculty members and full-time administrative support for each updated area, saving the University more than $540,000 in annual administrative costs.

Those savings are necessary, he explained, and a result of EIU’s budget and current enrollment fluctuations being so closely interconnected. While EIU’s consistent growth in domestic undergraduate, graduate, and transfer student populations continue to offset what has become an increasingly competitive higher education environment, federal policy shifts affecting international mobility have created immense downstream impacts on every university’s ability to recruit and retain international students. Both are ongoing challenges driven by factors external to and beyond EIU’s control, Gatrell said, before indicating that Eastern’s proactive positioning today will reinforce Eastern’s longstanding commitments to student success and provide every student a holistic, engaging EIU experience on their way to lucrative personal and professional careers. Research shows that a degree from EIU, on average, translates to nearly $2 million in additional lifetime earnings, creating opportunities for enhanced financial stability in a new and dynamic global economy.

Gatrell also shared that EIU continues to make significant progress on its campus infrastructure. A new fiber loop last fall improved continuity of operations and enhanced EIU’s campus network, the Thomas Hall remodel is expected to begin in 2026–27, a concept for creating a Pemberton Hall Welcome Center is moving forward, and a groundbreaking is on the horizon for EIU’s new, integrated Sciences Building as the project advances to the bidding phase. EIU’s President expressed gratitude to the State of Illinois for its partnership on current and upcoming projects, and looks forward to strengthening an EIU-State of Illinois alliance that provides more than $371M in economic output, over 4,500 regional jobs, and $53M in annual public revenue.

Panther Athletics continues to excel both in competition and in the classroom, Gatrell said. This fall, EIU Volleyball claimed the OVC Regular Season and Tournament Championships, advancing to the NCAA Tournament, with several coaches and student-athletes representing EIU Athletics earning various recognitions and awards in the fall. More than 100 student-athletes achieved a perfect 4.0 GPA, and 75% of all student-athletes maintained a GPA above 3.0, he said.

Finally, Gatrell thanked the generosity of EIU’s donor network. With their assistance, EIU’s Board of Trustees recently named Frost Field in recognition of Harry and Gladys Frost, whose philanthropy made it possible to play baseball under the lights for the first time in EIU’s history at Coaches Stadium. He also extended his thanks to the Gardella Family for championing EIU’s volleyball program, with Gardella Family Court at McAfee Gym preparing for additional off-season improvements. Gatrell also applauded the University’s Advancement team as they prepare for EIU’s next comprehensive fundraising campaign.

Gatrell became the 12th sitting President of Eastern Illinois University in July of 2023. Himself a first-generation college graduate, he understands firsthand the impact EIU has on students who are given the opportunity, tools, resources, and professional connections they need to succeed.

“Eastern Illinois University’s mission is to transform lives—by preparing students to lead, supporting the people who serve them, and driving cultural and economic vitality in Charleston, Coles County, and across the region,” Gatrell said after delivering his address. “EIU does so much more than educate students; we shape futures, strengthen communities, and play an integral role in creating a thriving Illinois.”