CHICAGO (Standard&Poor's CreditWire) June 5, 2000--Standard&Poor's today assigned its single-'A'-plus rating to Southern Illinois University Board of Trustees' $6.57 million housing and auxiliary facilities system revenue bonds, series 2000A, issued for Southern Illinois University (SIU). The bonds are scheduled to sell June 6, 2000. The rating reflects SIU's: ý-- Strong position within Illinois' higher education system and class II research status; ý-- Diverse program offerings, including medical and law schools; ý-- Stable demand and enrollment; and ý-- A low debt burden. Offsetting factors include modest state appropriation growth and limited financial liquidity relative to operations. The bonds are on parity with $107 million outstanding debt and are secured by net auxiliary system revenues and fees. Because
