State Sen. Tom Cullerton (D-Dist. 23) is pleased that the University of Illinois Board of Trustees voted on Wednesday not to award a $400,000 bonus to resigning University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Chancellor Phyllis Wise.
“I’m glad the university trustees chose to side with taxpayers," Cullerton said. "The board’s actions show they are willing to take a step in the right direction, but the bonus provisions should have never existed in the first place. It leaves us with a lot of questions as the Senate ponders the nominations of the university trustees. State-funded universities and community college administrators should not be rewarded for breaking the rules.”
Last week, Wise announced she was resigning after it was discovered she had been using her personal email account to conceal discussions of university business.
“Taxpayers should have access to the decisions made with their tax dollars,” Cullerton said. “We need to find ways to stop these abuses and promote open and honest communication between our state’s community colleges and universities and the public.”
Cullerton also said he is seeking to make college affordable for students.
“Providing an affordable education to our students will contribute to increased economic opportunity, higher employment rates and stability for our families,” Cullerton said. “We need to pass meaningful reform to ensure working families aren’t sacrificing opportunities or their financial health to pay inflated administrative benefits and severance packages.”
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