U of I Board Sets Saturday Meeting to Appoint Interim President

The University of Illinois Board of Trustees plans to appoint an interim president at a special meeting it's called for this Saturday on the Urbana campus. The meeting begins at 9 AM at the Illini Union.

The interim president would take over from B. Joseph White, who announced his resignation last week, in the wake of the U of I admissions scandal. The agenda doesn't give a name for the proposed interim president.

Former U of I president Stanley Ikenberry says he's been approached by some trustees about serving as interim president. He says he would accept the position if it were offered formally.

Trustees also plan to appoint an interim president designate. U of I spokesman Tom Hardy says that position would help ease the transition over to the interim president, before White's resignation takes effect, January 1st.

"It's likely that it would be the same person as the interim president", says Hardy.

The agenda for Saturday's board of trustees meeting also includes a motion to form a search committee to help find a permanent president. Trustees could also approve a revised employment agreement for President White, who plans to continue teaching and fundraising work at the Urbana campus.

Hardy calls the items on the quickly put-together agenda "probable". He says while trustees may choose not to act on some of them at that particular meeting, putting all of them on the agenda gives them some flexibility.