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* I told subscribers about this in some detail yesterday…
An effort to elect officers on the Southern Illinois University’s governing board short-circuited when two members walked out of the panel’s meeting.
Trustee Marquita Wiley and SIU-Edwardsville student trustee David Hamilton left just before the board’s expected vote Wiley had sought to delay. The vote didn’t happen because the board didn’t have a quorum after Wiley and Hamilton left the meeting.
Wiley says the vote shouldn’t take place until Gov. Pat Quinn and the Illinois Senate sign off on three new members to replace a trio whose term has expired. The Senate recently rejected three of Quinn’s appointments to the panel.
* More…
SIU Edwardsville student trustee David Hamilton made a motion to postpone the officer and committee chair nominations until a full board is seated.
“I cannot justify electing a Chairman when I’m the only representative from one of our major campuses,” Hamilton said.
* Background…
Tensions on the university board have been high since trustees voted last year to remove Herrin as chairman of the group, a post several trustees and Poshard say he obtained at the request of Gov. Quinn upon being appointed to the board in 2011.
Things boiled over in February, when Quinn removed the three Metro East trustees and sought to replace them with three other individuals. Metro East lawmakers led an effort in the state senate to reject those appointments. Senators regarded Quinn’s removal of Simmons, Hightower and Hinrichs as retaliation for voting Herrin out as chairman, as well as a maneuver to put the Harrisburg resident back in the chairman’s seat.
* This thwarted move by Quinn’s allies was obviously intended to elect Herrin as chairman. Sen. Bill Haine, who is about the most chill legislator I’ve ever met, went fully ballistic after the meeting adjourned…
State Sen. Bill Haine said Wednesday he will file legislation to have all of the Southern Illinois University Board of Trustees removed from office after a board member tried to have himself appointed chairman. […]
“I find it to be disturbing, and I find it to be an insult to the Senate, and to SIU itself, that [Herrin] would attempt, with a rump board, to ensconce himself as chair of the board, rather than wait for the constitutional process to work through, and the negotiations between the metro-east legislators and the governor’s office to conclude,” said Haine, D-Alton. […]
He added, “I’m going to pursue a bill which eliminates all of the trustees, and gives the governor another shot at a clean slate, to appoint an entirely new board.” […]
Poshard said the metro-east legislators have been pleading to meet with Quinn since November and it has not happened yet. “Maybe Bill’s got the right idea here,” he said. “That’s probably what it’s going to take.”
* WSIU posted the raw audio of the aborted meeting…
What a mess.
posted by Rich Miller
Thursday, Apr 4, 13 @ 10:21 am
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All people elected to office should be required to read “Team of Rivals”, then maybe there wouldn’t be so much political stagnation.
Comment by BMAN Thursday, Apr 4, 13 @ 10:28 am
Didn’t Kustra get politics out of the boards after all?
Comment by Liberty First Thursday, Apr 4, 13 @ 10:29 am
For the life of me, I cannot figure this out. Is Quinn’s problem with Poshard? Why is Quinn so gung-ho on Herrin?
Politically tin-headed and bizarre.
Comment by LincolnLounger Thursday, Apr 4, 13 @ 10:32 am
Why does Poshard get a free pass in stirring up so much controversy over the board? Everyone seems to believe his paranoid delusions that the Governor and Roger Herrin want him ousted. These meetings are public record, there’s no evidence to support that fantasy.
Comment by Anonymous Thursday, Apr 4, 13 @ 10:33 am
It does not need to be this hard. Rather than being appointed by the Gov & approved by the Senate, the trustees should be elected. Furthermore, Edwardsville and Carbondale have no more in common than both being south of Springfield. It is time to seperate these schools and let them be independent of each other.
Comment by BIG R. PH Thursday, Apr 4, 13 @ 10:37 am
Thanks for posting the recording. Enlightening.
Ms. Wiley and Mr. Hamilton sounded reasonable.
J. Lowery’s “song and dance” diminished his stature.
Sen. Haine’s anger appears justified.
Pro-Tem Chair, do business, fill the vacancies, then elect permanent Chair seems most logical.
But believe a fired up Sen. Haine is a serious force to be reckoned with for all concerned. He’s a tough seasoned public servant.
Comment by x ace Thursday, Apr 4, 13 @ 10:57 am
So…. Governor Quinn wants Rahm to give up his control of the Chicago School Board, at the same time as he is trying to control the makeup of the SIU Board, in defiance of the Illinois Senate, an elected body who says his candidates are unacceptable.
Comment by Irish Thursday, Apr 4, 13 @ 11:11 am
SIU has enrollment has been going down for years. All I ever see in the news is the controversy at SIU. I don’t think its the board of trustees that is the problem. Nobody mentions the President Glen Poshard with the problems at SIU. When all the trustees are seated, the total number is eight voting members. One group of trustees supported Poshard and the other did not. This is where all the controversy started. Now former state Senator Poshard has went to Springfiled to lobby his friends in the Senate to keep his job. The SIU board of trustees should have the power to run SIU as they see fit. They should not have elected officials trying to control the board. Lets put the spotlight on the fact the controversy is about Poshard keeping his job as president at SIU.
Comment by Joe Thursday, Apr 4, 13 @ 11:11 am
Dr. Poshard is a good man, who has done much for Southern Illinois. His work with the Poshard Foundation is to be applauded. However, Governor Quinn….with all his problems is right on this issue. Poshard needs to step aside.
Southern Illinois University has been in enrollment free fall for some time. SIU enrollment has declined by 970 students from fall 2011– a drop of 4.89 percent from the previous year and the single largest decrease in enrollment since at least 2002. It has fallen by 6,022 since 1991. That is a 24% decline over the last 20+ years.
Several years ago Poshard handpicked a terrible choice for campus chancellor in Fernando Trevino, who couldn’t even last one year in the position. And Poshard has proven unable to lead the campus forward. He cannot get his Trustees, his administrators, the faculty, or the professional staff to buy into his program or to effectively implement it– maybe because his plans are themselves too flawed to succeed.
While some of Poshard’s failures are more due to unreasonable opposition from the board, faculty, and staff than his own shortcomings, he has had since 2006 to win over opponents, build a team attitude with common, realistic goals, and reverse the enrollment collapse. Poshard’s inability to do so in six long years requires his immediate removal.
I have heard for 20 years that the ship cannot turn around over night. That is true. However tomorrow has never came. It’s time for a change at SIU, and I rarely say it, but I am with Quinn 100% on this.
Comment by John A Logan Thursday, Apr 4, 13 @ 11:11 am
It seems Quinn is taking an unimportant issue to the mattresses, and I do not understand why. Is he trying to drum up support for Madigan for Gov?
Comment by Ghost Thursday, Apr 4, 13 @ 11:12 am
===However, Governor Quinn….with all his problems is right on this issue. Poshard needs to step aside. ===
If that’s what Quinn wants, shouldn’t he just come out and say it? Also, EIU is having enrollment problems as well. Why hasn’t PQ got involved there?
This isn’t about enrollment. It’s about something else.
Comment by Rich Miller Thursday, Apr 4, 13 @ 11:14 am
good move by the student trustee to help abort the election.
Comment by langhorne Thursday, Apr 4, 13 @ 11:46 am
Self-inflicted wounds are the best kind. Sigh.
Comment by Chicago Cynic Thursday, Apr 4, 13 @ 11:57 am
Rich. Your right. Quinn should just come out and say it.
Comment by John A Logan Thursday, Apr 4, 13 @ 12:07 pm
Addendum to my comment above. It almost appears as though the Gov. tries to be oppositional to everyone. It’s like he hasn’t made the transition from his CUB days. He is still the eternal critic instead of a leader with a clear plan.
Comment by Irish Thursday, Apr 4, 13 @ 12:11 pm
Politicians can’t really be expected to fix problems, just make more problems. So out with somebody else’s appointments and in with mine.
Comment by Makandadawg Thursday, Apr 4, 13 @ 12:21 pm
Anyone else see the irony of Quinn in the story right above saying the CPS should have an elected board and him messing with the appointed board of SIU? Why not elect the boards for the universities?
Comment by Nelson Thursday, Apr 4, 13 @ 1:14 pm
- If that’s what Quinn wants -
How do you know it is? It seems to me that the university has some issues and some new ideas on the board wouldn’t hurt.
If the appointees weren’t qualified or it had anything to do with their connection to Carbondale vs. Edwardsville, why weren’t they given a hearing? Why didn’t they sit them down and question them for a few hours, try to make them look foolish?
Everyone seems to buy into Poshard’s paranoia without question.
Comment by Small Town Liberal Thursday, Apr 4, 13 @ 1:21 pm
- Why not elect the boards for the universities? -
Why doesn’t Poshard, or the Senate, propose this idea? Maybe the Governor would be all for it.
Comment by Small Town Liberal Thursday, Apr 4, 13 @ 1:23 pm
My take from all of this, from the back channels, back biting, the personal riffs, and private battles …
A student trustee outmanuevered the Governor, and and outflanked the Opposition, leaving the College Student Trustee the wisest of the whole group.
Yikes!
Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Apr 4, 13 @ 1:48 pm
Willy, there is hope for the next generation, eh?
Comment by Arthur Andersen Thursday, Apr 4, 13 @ 1:54 pm
Yes, there is some hope, - AA -, if we just stop and look around, the next generation rises to the occasion often, its just we older generations seem to find a way to take the credit from them … but there is no way we can this time.
I am throwing this out there, for snark, for fun, but mostly for something to think about …
Lisa Madigan / Glenn Poshard 2014…(?)
Not making a case, not giving an ounce of advice, and I have nothing to base that on except the delicious irony of that ticket in a Primary. Boy, I would bet Poshard would love to be the “attack dog” for Lisa in the Primary…
Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Apr 4, 13 @ 2:00 pm
What is disturbing is that these institutions of higher learning are just as political and disfunctional as the rest of the state. SIU, U of I, Chicago State and I don’t know any details of Eastern but does everything in this state have to be disfunctional. The culture of Illinois has infected even the universities.
Comment by Fed up Thursday, Apr 4, 13 @ 2:03 pm
Just a rhetorical question for the elected board advocates-Back in the day, UI trustees ran statewide. If SIU went to an elected model, would they run statewide? Regionally? If the latter, how would the territories/counties be divided? AA has no dog in the race, or opinion, but does find this an interesting point to ponder.
Comment by Arthur Andersen Thursday, Apr 4, 13 @ 2:07 pm
STL… I think it has more to do with who was taken off rather than who he wants on….it was a bold symbolic move to not retain ONLY those affiliated with Edwardsville. Shouldn’t there have been some others removed if the goal was fresh blood?
Does this issue have anything to do with Sheila Simon choosing not to run? If I remember correctly Poshard and the Simon clan were allies….
Comment by Vote Quimby! Thursday, Apr 4, 13 @ 2:43 pm
Oh, the idea of a Madigan/Poshard ticket just made me feel a little sick. Fortunately, I’m pretty sure it’d make Madigan sick too.
Comment by BRaitt Thursday, Apr 4, 13 @ 2:48 pm
- Shouldn’t there have been some others removed -
Their terms had expired, the other members’ terms haven’t.
Comment by Small Town Liberal Thursday, Apr 4, 13 @ 3:45 pm
STL, I (kinda) wish Rich would give you an open forum for awhile and we could ask questions, you answer back.
We get more insight into Quinn’s thought process (if that isn’t an oxymoron) from you than most of his official flacks.
Comment by Arthur Andersen Thursday, Apr 4, 13 @ 4:19 pm
I am affiliated with the Edwardsville campus, so can I just say let us separate and cut our ties with the sinking ship? Enough of this drama already: I’m not sure it’s worth the 2% of state aid we seem to receive for being a “public” institution.
Comment by xxtofer Thursday, Apr 4, 13 @ 4:41 pm
AA, the Governor is far smarter than you or I ever will be, and I’ve only met the man briefly. I’m just calling it like it is, terms expire, people get replaced, and Poshard is selling everyone a paranoid fantasy.
Comment by Small Town Liberal Thursday, Apr 4, 13 @ 5:00 pm
Hey irish. Get a clue
Comment by Wowser Thursday, Apr 4, 13 @ 6:07 pm
Just cause he isn’t in on your good ol boys circle j. Doesn’t make him wrong
Comment by Wowser Thursday, Apr 4, 13 @ 6:09 pm
STL, I’ve known PQ since his gadfly days, and wouldn’t dispute his intellect. That’s why I’m so astounded at what goes on in the “administration” on a regular basis.
In the instant case, he has riled up people he really can’t afford to (e.g. Bill Haine) over something that should be routine and uneventful. If he thinks Poshard needs to go, there are multiple ways to achieve that end beyond this ham-fisted approach.
Comment by Arthur Andersen Thursday, Apr 4, 13 @ 6:23 pm
AA, I don’t think PQ ever had any intentions of ousting Poshard. There’s nothing to back that up other than what Poshard says, look through the meeting minutes.
Comment by Small Town Liberal Thursday, Apr 4, 13 @ 6:54 pm
==I’m just calling it like it is, terms expire, people get replaced==
With Senate approval, who sent a pretty strong message about the three nominees. I’m no Poshard fan in this…Poshard and Herrin can fight over the scraps of southern Illinois. I just care about proper representation for what will be the dominant campus in the (very near) future.
Comment by Vote Quimby! Thursday, Apr 4, 13 @ 6:58 pm
==what Poshard says, look through the meeting minutes==
I doubt, in Illinois, anything that significant would appear in the official minutes…
Comment by Vote Quimby! Thursday, Apr 4, 13 @ 7:00 pm
STL, I wrote “if” because I don’t know what the endgame is here. I do know that whatever it is, you won’t find it in the minutes.
Comment by Arthur Andersen Thursday, Apr 4, 13 @ 7:49 pm
===STL, I (kinda) wish Rich would give you an open forum for awhile and we could ask questions, you answer back.===
Ah - Greed!!!
I say that with Much Respect, STL.
That would be a fun “give and take”…
Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Apr 4, 13 @ 7:51 pm
OW, y’all know I’m a Quinn guy, but I assure you I’m no mindless drone about it. I just think Poshard doesn’t like any questioning of his authority and is willing to scorch the earth over it.
Comment by Small Town Liberal Thursday, Apr 4, 13 @ 8:21 pm
STL,
Yopu should know by now, I have Much Respect, and never think as you describe. My “fun ‘give and take’…” was meant in the best sense of an honest discussion, and actual feedback and analysis of the politics. I know you can hold your own and it would be interesting to go back and forth on the subject of Pat Quinn …
I hope you take it better now after clarifying …
Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Apr 4, 13 @ 8:35 pm
I never took it badly, OW. Just reassuring.
Comment by Small Town Liberal Thursday, Apr 4, 13 @ 8:39 pm
I will say this, your defense of Quinn is impressive and quite admirable. You are a credit to yourself here, for sure.
To the post,
Who can step in here and make some sort of peace? Is the Student Trustee the only person that can broker a deal at this point? No snark, I think the Student has held his own, and if the Student Trustee can outmanuver a governor in the short term, who’s to say he can’t put a band-aid on this?
Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Apr 4, 13 @ 9:01 pm
Willy, that’s a good question.
The sharpest knives in the SIU drawer appear to be a youngster and the secretary to the Board.
Unfortunately, one of the two is getting the heck outta town in May, and oh the stories he will tell at the “Class Reunion.”
“You-you closed down the bars, eh? Lemme tell ya what I closed down, bro.”
Comment by Arthur Andersen Thursday, Apr 4, 13 @ 11:25 pm
Uh…..hello. There are some chill legislators. Bill Haine is not what I would call a chill legislator.
Comment by state worker Friday, Apr 5, 13 @ 12:55 am