Repository: UIHistories Project: Board of Trustees Minutes - 1990 [PAGE 541]

EXTRACTED TEXT FROM PAGE:

1992]

UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS

529

for a vice chancellor for research and dean of the Graduate College was well underway and that nominations and applications were being screened by the search committee. Chancellor Morton W. Weir, Urbana campus, told the board that the search for an athletic director at Urbana had been concluded and that a recommendation to them to approve the appointment of Ronald E. Guenther would be on their agenda later in the day. He also indicated that the search for vice chancellor for research and dean of the Graduate College was continuing, inasmuch as the candidate to whom the job was offered had declined the position to take another with the National Science Foundation. Dr. Weir also reported that the search for a dean of the College of Communications had advanced to the stage of having a short list of four candidates. The chancellor then told the trustees that a search for a director of the Library would probably be delayed for a period of approximately two years. Dr. Weir said that he hoped to be able to recommend an acting director to the board rather soon.

Meningitis Report — Urbana Campus

Chancellor Weir regretfully informed the board of the death from meningitis of a woman student. He indicated that this student had been inoculated against the disease a few weeks prior. Dr. Weir briefly reported early findings of the study conducted by the Center for Communicable Diseases that indicated that the campus had done all that was possible to contain and prevent spread of this disease. The Centers for Disease Control and the medical staff at McKinley Health Center are continuing to investigate cases and circumstances regarding incidents of meningitis. Mr. Downey suggested that the University find a way to pay for inoculations of students in the year ahead.

Latino Student Demonstrations — Urbana Campus

Dr. Weir described a meeting he had had with students involved in demonstrating in recent weeks on the campus. This meeting included faculty members who had reviewed the charges against students for the chancellor. Dr. Weir reported that in the process of discussing issues the students were becoming more positive about efforts to address their problems. These problems centered mainly on relations with the administration and programming efforts in La Casa Latina, the Latino students' cultural center on campus. Dr. Weir told the board that he was convinced that the students did not intend to do damage to person or property in the course of their demonstrations. He went on though to say that the students who were arrested would have to go through the court process and that the students whose behavior was to be reviewed by the student disciplinary process at the campus would have to proceed with that. Dr. Weir pointed out that he did not have the power to stop these procedures.