The Board of Trustees heard a report about progress of the vitalization project and Eastern President David Glassman’s proposition asking the board to give him control over international students’ tuition at its meeting Friday, Nov. 18.

The vitalization project consists of nine workgroups, which focus on different parts of the university, such as intercollegiate athletics, marketing and academic programs.

Glassman said preliminary reports for the project have been completed and turned in to the administration.

The preliminary reports have recommendations for the various departments across campus. The chairs of those departments were able to see these recommendations.

Workgroups no. 8 and no. 9, which each focus on the marketing and organization of colleges in the university, do not have any reports to turn in but will be talking to the president and keeping him informed.

Glassman also talked about a proposition that would give him control over tuition prices for international students. As of now he has no control over the prices, but he wants to be able to set them based on the rates for the international student’s university.

He said he wants to have more flexibility with tuition and fee models.

The Board will vote on Glassman’s proposition at their next meeting.

The Board’s finance committee said the university finished its quality assessment report, which was submitted to the state for review.

The university also finished reviewing the preliminary budget for FY2017. However, it is not possible to do more than approve the budget because of uncertainty in Springfield resulting from the budget impasse.

The Board also discussed Springfield, higher education funding and how the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign gave legislators their own proposal for funding.

Officials at the U of I said they want standards in place for a university to be able to receive funding.

The Board said it has taken a neutral position on the proposal, meaning they do not think it will change anything for Eastern, but they do not know enough about it since the proposal was first reported in the Chicago Tribune on Thursday Nov. 10.

Samuel Nusbaum can be reached at 581-2812 or at scnusbaum@eiu.