Today’s Board of Trustees meeting opened with trustees Frances Carroll and James Montgomery welcoming new board members.

Carroll and Montgomery refused to resign following the admissions scandal. Carroll thanked Gov. Pat Quinn for not forcibly removing her and Montgomery.

“What we bring will be extremely valuable to this board,” Carroll said.

With State Representative Naomi Jakobsson on hand, the board talked about the need for diversity in the student body.

University President B. Joseph White then discussed the higher education crisis in the state. The University is trying to restore finanical aid because thousands of students do not have academic futures due to financial problems, he said.

Tuition costs rise because the funds not coming from the state must be compensated for by students, said Mrinalini C. Rao, vice-president for academic affairs.

Bogdan V. Zavorotny, student trustee from Chicago, said the increased costs will force students to drop out of school.