Isn't this the well known game of Promoting The Favorite Student at play here? As the MRM departments can't place two students, his old committee decided to sacrifice this guy out of high ranked school, and let RI communicate with the student about this decision.
I am sure all members of the old committee, not only RI, agreed to push this guy out. RI being the junior most was made to stand in the front, but he was speaking what everyone on his committee agreed.
You clearly know nothing about the abmysal conduct at UIUC. The place is a cesspool. The concerned student surely isn't a lemon. Students, especially overseas students, are at the mercy of the entitled, arrogant faculty over here. No wonder the business school has slid badly over the past few years.