Dive Brief:
- The University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign’s embattled former chancellor Phyllis Wise is officially on sabbatical now as a member of the School of Molecular and Cellular Biology after resigning again, this time without a negotiated contract.
- The Board of Trustees will not pursue a dismissal process, and Wise will not spend the next few months as an advisor to the president or get a $400,000 lump sum that drew criticism from many parties, including Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner.
- In a statement to the media, which Inside Higher Ed printed in its entirety, Wise said she is “consulting with lawyers and considering options to protect [her] reputation in the face of the board’s position,” meaning the saga may not be over.
Dive Insight:
According to Wise, the $400,000 payment was deferred compensation she accrued each year she remained in her position as chancellor, not a bonus. She said in her statement that she had begun talks months before about donating that money to the College of Medicine.
Wise originally resigned amid a controversy over her use of personal email to discuss university business and her refusal to disclose that communication for records requests. Her $400,000 payment turned into a controversy of its own, in part because the University of Illinois system is facing cuts in state funding.