Repository: UIHistories Project: Board of Trustees Minutes - 1944 [PAGE 222]

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UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS

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(Chart following p. 160) It is inconsistent to place the Director of Intercollegiate Athletics over the Director of the Intramural and Recreational Program. (pp. 152-157 of the Review) In the main the contentions of the Administration appear to be sound. (p. 162) W h a t relationship does the Examiner and Recorder have to the Registrar in Urbana? H e certainly should not be entirely independent. Coordination is provided in case of the Librarian. (See first section of this memorandum.) (p. 172) It would seem to be desirable to have provision made for student personnel service in the Chicago unit. This person should be on the staff of the Dean of Students. (p. 177) What means do we now have for measuring performance objectively at the university level? (pp. 189-190) A desirable undertaking, but a large one, which of course is not really an argument against it. (p. 227) T h e recommendations on hospitalization are good. P r e s i d e n t M e y e r e x p r e s s e d a p p r e c i a t i o n of t h e a c t i o n of D e a n W o r k s in p r e p a r i n g a n d p r e s e n t i n g h i s c o m m e n t s . STATEMENT BY PRESIDENT WILLARD President W i l l a r d presented the following statement on the comments by D e a n W o r k s .

I. GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS

T h e four general proposals set forth in the B.F.A.H. Report, in the Administrative Review, and in the comments by Dr. W o r k s a r e : (1) relieve the excessive burden on the President, (2) create better conditions for effective educational and business leadership, (3) reduce the number of administrative committees, and (4) confine the activities of the Board of Trustees to legislative functions. All parties seem agreed in principle on these proposals. As a result of the action of the Board at its meeting on November 27, 1942 (Minutes, pages 178187), the President of the University has acted on the first and third of these proposals as already reported in the present meeting (Minutes, page 210), delegating numerous additional duties to the Provost and to the Comptroller, and instructing all divisions of the University to re-examine their committees and their functions. These two actions directly contribute to the creation of better conditions for effective leadership, which was the second proposal. But in view of the fact that this covers a tremendously complex problem involving the Committees on Educational Policy of the Schools and Colleges, the Senate Committee on Educational Policy, the natural leadership of the faculty and of other bodies and officers, it is absolutely imperative that further study be given to this second proposal. The Board of Trustees itself by its action on the B.F.A.H. Report has signally contributed to the effectiveness of the fourth proposal, namely, confining its activities to legislative functions. Dr. W o r k s has said, "If full agreement were reached on the foregoing statements, there might still remain differences of opinion concerning the best means of realizing them." Obviously, there are disagreements on "the best means of realizing them." In fact, this is precisely the point at issue, both in the action already taken by the Board, and in any other action regarding the formal organization of the University. Dr. Works has happily clarified the issue so that there ought no longer be any confusion about it. The issue can be stated as follows: Although substantial agreement can doubtless be reached on the four general considerations described above, it should be noted that three methods of converting this agreement into action have now been placed before the Board: (1) Adopt both the general and the specific recommendations of the B.F.A.H. Report as they stand. This method has already been rejected in favor of method 2, which is: (2) Adopt the recommendations embodied in the Administrative Review together with its proposed method of procedure. (3) Adopt the wholly new plan proposed by Dr. Works.