The Western Illinois University Board of Trustees has deadlocked on whether to appoint Doctor Martin Abraham as the university’s 12th president. The vote Friday came after the board held a five hour executive session Thursday night and met behind closed doors for more than an hour Friday morning.
Chairperson Polly Radosh and trustees Carin Stutz, Patrick Twomey, and Erik Dolieslager voted in favor hiring Abraham, but trustees Kisha Lang, Doug Shaw, Greg Aguilar, and Justin Brown voted against the motion.
The board then voted to form a 23 member committee to conduct a search for Western’s next president.
Abraham has been serving as interim president and will continue to serve in that capacity. Trustees praised the job he has done and encouraged him to apply for the presidency. But those who opposed naming Abraham president Friday said they want to see a fair and diverse search conducted.