July 14, 2005

SIU Trustees approve salary increase plan

by Sue Davis

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. -- Southern Illinois University Trustees approved a salary increase plan for fiscal year 2006 during their monthly meeting in Springfield today (July 14).

Board policy requires approval of a general plan for employees not represented by a recognized bargaining agent at SIU Carbondale and SIU Edwardsville. The plan sets general parameters for the distribution of salary increases.

The Board approved a plan that will let SIU President James E. Walker authorize average salary increases of 3 percent for eligible faculty, administrative-professional staff and Civil Service employees on both campuses effective July 1.

Employees on the Carbondale campus should see increases in their first checks in August for the current pay period. Payroll offices will hand calculate increases for earlier pay periods and add those amounts to later checks.

In other action, the Board approved the second step of a two-phase plan to restore Lake-On-The-Campus at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. The picturesque lake provides waterfront-housing options for students staying in Thompson Point residence halls and is the center of canoeing, fishing and swimming activities.

The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency will fund $238,247 of the $500,000 project, which will stabilize part of the shoreline, install a handicap accessible access fishing pier and establish a long-term balanced fish population.

Workers at SIUC also will dredge a nearby pond that drains into campus lake, construct storm-water wetlands near discharge culverts along Douglas Drive and install aerators in the lake and in the pond.

Changes should keep the lake healthy for years to come.