ISU president gives annual address

Posted on September 10, 2020
Illinois State University President Larry Dietz gave this year’s State of the University address online due to the ongoing pandemic. (Neil Doyle/WJBC)

 

By Neil Doyle

NORMAL – The coronavirus pandemic and holding students accountable were some of the topics in this year’s State of the University address.

In his seventh address held virtually Thursday, Illinois State University President Larry Dietz said the school is financially stable and there has been a significant investment in keeping the campus safe.

“We are only three months into the new fiscal year, but it is projected that the University’s investment in managing COVID-19 in fiscal year ‘21 will come close to and possibly exceed the fiscal year ‘20 investment of $28 million,” said Dietz.

To date, ISU has spent $8 million on cleaning supplies, PPE, and student testing. Coupled with fewer students living in university-housing, Dietz said the fall financial impact escalates another $12 million for a total of approximately $20 million.

Meanwhile, another harsh warning was given to students who attended a large off-campus party earlier this week. Dietz said while some have made bad choices, there are many students doing the right things to address the pandemic.

A transcript of the speech can be found here.

Neil Doyle can be reached at [email protected]

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