University of Illinois President Receives Large Raise, Contract Extended

The University of Illinois Board of Trustees will consider a proposal Thursday that would extend President Tim Killeen’s contract by four years.

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University of Illinois President Tim Killeen is being offered a new contract that would extend his tenure four years and hike his annual compensation by about 40 percent.

In making the contract proposal, board members noted it "reflects the board’s confidence in Killeen’s leadership."

Under the proposed extension, Killeen's base pay would increase from $600,000 to $835,000, according to a press release from the university. With the increase, Killeen's annual base pay would rank fifth among the 11 Big Ten presidents with multi-campus oversight.

Since Killeen became president in 2015, enrollment at the campuses in Urbana-Champaign, Springfield and Chicago has increased to more than 89,000 students last fall.

Much of the enrollment increase has occurred at the university's Chicago campus, which has seen a nearly 15 percent increase in four years, according to Associated Press. Enrollment at the Urbana-Champaign campus has increased 10 percent since 2016, while Springfield has seen enrollment drop from 5,400 students in 2016 to 4,300 last fall.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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