University of Illinois trustees have chosen a new chairman to lead their board. Trustees on Thursday named Edward McMillan the chairman of the board that oversees the university's three campuses. McMillan has been a trustee since 2009 and replaces Christopher Kennedy.
Kennedy is a Democrat and is stepping down when his term expires this month, assuming that Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner would not reappoint him. McMillan is a Republican.
McMillan is a retired business executive from Greenville, about 40 miles east of St. Louis.
Trustees also unanimously approved the previously announced hiring of Timothy Killeen as president of the university system. He will replace Robert Easter this summer.
The hiring of incoming University of Illinois-Chicago Chancellor Michael Amiridis also was approved.
University trustees also voted to freeze in-state tuition rates at the school's three campuses. The plan will freeze tuition at $12,036 a year in Urbana-Champaign, $10,584 at the Chicago campus and $9,405 in Springfield. State law guarantees first-year students at public universities their tuition won't increase for four years.
Tuition will increase by 2 percent for non-Illinois residents. Tuition at universities across the country has increased sharply in recent years.
Housing costs at the three campuses, though, will increase. At the Urbana-Champaign campus the increase will be 1.5 percent to $10,332 a year. Chicago campus housing will increase 2 percent to $10,728. And in Springfield the cost will be $7,350, up .7 percent.
