Repository: UIHistories Project: Board of Trustees Minutes - 1898 [PAGE 116]

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116

UNIVERSITY OF I L L I N O I S . ELECTRICIANS AND STOREKEEPERS.

[ June

8

1. That F. J. Foote be reappointed electrician in the electrical laboratory for ten months at $75.00 per month. 2. That M. T. Lindsay be reappointed storekeeper in the chemical laboratory at $40.00 per month for ten months. 3. That I. H. Allen be reappointed storekeeper in the electrical laboratory for ten months at $40.00 per month.

STUDENT ASSISTANTS.

I recommend that $400.00 be appropriated for student assistants, who may be appointed from time to time by the President.

CLERICAL ASSISTANTS,

The question of providing needed stenographic and type-writing help to the leading officers in the University, in the most economical way, is one that should be met now by adopting some plan capable of general application. Such assistance is now provided for the President, Business Manager, Registrar, Director of the State Laboratory of Natural History, Director of the Agricultural Experiment Station, and Dean of the College of Engineering. The Dean of the College of Literature and Arts, the Dean of the Woman's Department, the School of Law, the Library and Library School, and the office of the chemical survey of potable waters, may all lay reasonable claim to some help of this character. At odd times others connected with the University might be aided in this way to our common advantage. It is not practicable, however, and I do not think it is desirable, to extend such assistance to all connected with the University who may have occasion to write a letter. None of the great institutions do it and it is certainly impracticable for them or for us to undertake it. On the other hand, it is not to the advantage of the University that prominent officers should devote their energies to clerical work that can be done better and in less time by another who is very g]ad to do it at much less compensation. The administrative work of the University, on the faculty side, is not running as smoothly as it should, nor as it easily might, if clerical help were provided for keeping the records and carrying out the directions of the Council of Administration and the General Faculty. Professor# Kinley has heretofore rendered this service for the Council of Administration, but his other duties overtax him and he should be relieved of this one. Again, the work in the President's office has multiplied many times in recent years, and there is an infinite amount of additional work which ougiht to be taken up. Miss Heath, secretary to the President, is taxed beyond her strength. Of excellent attainments, she has grown into familiarity with University affairs, and in steadiness and efficiency of execution. She is worthy of larger compensation and can easily be made more profitable to the University than by keeping her so constantly at work upon the typewriter. I have given the subject such thought as I could and have advised with the prominent officers of the University about it, and have finally reached the conclusion to make the following recommendations: 1. That the present arrangement for typewriting and clerical assistance, in the offices of the Business Manager, Registrar, Director of the State Laboratory, and Director of the Experiment Station, be not disturbed. 2. That there be established, near the President's office, a typewriting bureau which shall be under the supervision of that office, which shall perform such university work of a clerical character as the President shall approve; that Miss Ford, stenographer for the College of Engineering, be transferred to such bureau, and that another, if not two more stenographers, be employed in the same service; that the stenographers so employed shall render to the deans, and such other officers of the University as the President may approve, such services as to him may seem proper.