Kill's raise approved by BOT

The Board of Trustees approved the 14 percent salary increase for SIU head football coach Jerry Kill during its meeting Thursday in the Student Center. Kill's raise, which is retroactive Feb. 1, boosts him from $144,216 to $165,000 a year. The board approved the raise with no discussion and only student trustee Ed Ford opposing.

During the public comment portion of the meeting, Ruth Pommier, president of the Association of Civil Service Employees, asked the board to consider the workers who toil every day to run the University.

Pommier asked the board where the money for the raise was coming from. On Kill's new salary, Pommier said the University could pay three clerks' 12-month salaries. Many times the members of Pommier's union, the second largest on campus, have asked her how the University can afford to give double-digit raises to athletic coaches when the state budget is being cut and revenue reserves are supposedly limited. "Give the coaches their raise, but in the name of God, do something for us. We can't wait any longer," Pommier said.

During the press conference after the meeting, Chancellor Walter Wendler said one of the reasons for the raise was because the University had reason to believe Kill was being offered jobs at other universities. The Salukis have been the Gateway conference champions for the last two years under Kill's leadership. Board Chairman Glenn Poshard said in a telephone conversation Tuesday, when the University is able to find a coach that will keep SIUC in a positive light in the news all the time, it must do everything it can to retain those coaches. "What can you call being number one in the nation and all the national publicity that the University gains for that?" Poshard said. "It cannot be measured. There are so many intangibles that you can't really put a price tag on it." The board also viewed a presentation on the new housing development, the Grand and Wall Apartments. At last month's board meeting, members expressed concern over the contemporary structure of the roofs. On Thursday, architects presented a new plan with shingled, more traditional roofs, much to the pleasure of the board members.

"I think our names are going to be on it for years and years to come," said John Simmons, Architecture and Design committee chairman. Simmons said the committee members believe the board should create uniform guidelines on the design of all new SIU buildings. There are no such guidelines in place, but having such rules could have prevented the board's problems with the roofs. Simmons said many other universities have similar policies that govern building design.

Board member Keith Sanders said he was disturbed that the presentation showed no sculptures or art pieces inside or outside the apartments. The architects on the project also consulted students six times while drawing up plans for the newest housing in 40 years to be built on campus. Sanders said constantly consulting students was the best thing for the architects to do. "Our students know more about what future students will want more than current administrators know what future students want," Sanders said.