SIU Chancellor Ted Sanders will become President Sanders and SIUC President John Guyon will become SIUC Chancellor Guyon if the Board of Trustees passes legislation exchanging the two titles at today’s board meeting.

The board will also re-examine plans for a research and education center to investigate learning and development disorders at the SIUC School of Medicine in Springfield.

Sanders said at a press conference Tuesday that the exchange of titles was recommended by former SIU Chancellor James Brown as a result of recent changes in Illinois higher education governance.

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The chief executive officer in other Illinois higher education systems is the president whereas at SIU, the chancellor is the chief executive officer.

Sanders said the exchange of titles would make SIU consistent with other college systems in the state, resulting in SIU being run by a president instead of a chancellor.

If the exchange of titles occurs, Sanders would become president of SIU while Presidents John Guyon at SIUC and Nancy Belck at SIUE would become chancellors.

Sanders said SIU’s titles now are confusing and the exchange would help solve that.

The title didn’t matter a bit to me, he said. But, it does appear to make more sense.

Revisions to SIU’s evaluation and selection procedures for the president and chancellor also will be discussed.

Sanders said the board’s current evaluation process for the executive positions is unsatisfactory because it does not provide the means for making any kind of judgment.

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No board member could be reached for comment.

Sanders said if all goes well at today’s meeting, the board could adopt the revisions at its November meeting.

The board will also discuss extending the SIUC School of Medicine’s proposed Center for Disorders in Development and Learning by including interdepartmental research and involving individuals from other departments in the research and education aspects of the center.

Sanders said the extension to the proposed center would make more efficient use of resources.

It would build off the strengths we already have, Sanders said.

The board also will vote on a $8,500 proposed tuition rate for the anticipated physician assistant bachelor of science degree program.

Dr. Carl Getto, dean and provost of the SIUC School of Medicine, said the tuition rate is reasonable and the school is affordable as a medical school because it is in the lowest 25 percent of tuition costs in the nation.

The meeting will take place in Ballroom D of the Student Center at 8 a.m.