Illinois Board of Higher Education

Over the last decade, state funding for Illinois State University has dropped by more than a third after inflation. And it has declined as a share of the total university budget for more than three decades. That could change if the state legislature passes a measure this spring.

Since the 2022-23 academic school year, the Illinois Tutoring Initiative has brought more than 83,000 hours of what’s called high-impact tutoring to over 6,000 students across the state.

The grant award requires ISU to conduct a research study on the use of more diverse manikins in the Mennonite College of Nursing's Simulation Lab.

The Illinois Board of Higher Education is handing Illinois Wesleyan University more than $5 million for infrastructure. Illinois Wesleyan says it's not sure yet exactly how it will use the money.

The Illinois Board of Higher Education recently approved Illinois State University's curricula for mechanical, electrical and general engineering. It's one more step in the process of opening the College of Engineering that is expected to enroll its first students in the fall of 2025.

The McLean County school district denied four resignations, submitted by special education teachers weeks before the first day of school.

The announced closure of Lincoln College is an example of a challenging time in higher education, says the president of Illinois Wesleyan University in Bloomington. Georgia Nugent used to work at the Council of Independent Colleges, a group of about 700 mostly smaller and liberal arts institutions that has tracked a half century of issues facing largely private liberal arts colleges.

The executive deputy director of the Illinois Board of Higher Education said when a college closes, there are disproportionate impacts on students of color. And most of the student body at the soon-to-close Lincoln College is Black.

The 1855-era private liberal arts college made the announcement on Friday, extending the offer to both Lincoln College and Lincoln Christian University.

The mayor of Lincoln said Thursday the loss of Lincoln College is a "devastating blow" to the Logan County community. After 157 years, the college will close in May at the end of the school, while Lincoln Christian University is reducing its footprint by going mostly virtual, said Mayor Tracy Welch.