Repository: UIHistories Project: Board of Trustees Minutes - 1944 [PAGE 274]

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1943]

UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS

271

Research, and the Comptroller. At this conference the original budget and Memorandum 265 of the Bureau of Institutional Research were presented to all members of the Commission, and also a new condensed summary of budget requests, a copy of which is submitted herewith. Since the filing of the original budget with the Department of Finance, there have been discussions with representatives of the Department of Public Welfare concerning changes in the budget plan and responsibilities of management of the Illinois Neuropsychiatric Institute and the Illinois Eye and Ear Infirmary, involving changes in fiscal operations. Revision of the original budget resulted also from the action of the Board on January 23 (Minutes, page 232), authorizing legislation for the appropriation of $250,000 of the total ($750,000) included in the original budget for the airport project, out of appropriations made for capital improvements for the current biennium which can not be used because of wartime restrictions on critical materials. This legislation has been presented in Senate Bill 41, introduced on February 3, 1043. Over four hours were spent in the conference with the Illinois Budgetary Commission, which gave University officials an opportunity to present and discuss the budget in great detail. The questions asked by members of the Commission were all pertinent, helpful in bringing out important factors, and indicated a sympathetic appreciation on the part of the Commission of the University's problems. While the Commission expressed no commitment, there was evident appreciation of the reasons for every proposal submitted, and the hearing was the most satisfactory of its kind the University has had in many years. If all of the proposals submitted to the Budgetary Commission are approved, they will result in a total increase of $753,771 in the gross budget of the University from all funds. There will be an increase of $1,110,143 in the tax appropriations to the University, but a decrease of $479,220 in the budget of the Department of Public Welfare, due to transfers of certain operating items from the budget of the Department to the University budget, so that the net amount of added tax funds necessary to cover all of the items included in the University's budget for 1943-1945 would be $630,923. Such a budget would provide for salary increases in the lower brackets (below $3,000), for new programs mostly in the Chicago Colleges, and for the program of education and research related to air transportation at the University, including an airport, all of which have been approved by the Board. This budget did not include the proposed addition ($150,000) to the State appropriation being requested for agricultural extension services, which has already been before the Budgetary Commission, nor the special appropriation ($578,000) which the University has suggested for reducing debt obligations on its properties.

This report was received for record.

IMPROVEMENTS IN EDUCATIONAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE ORGANIZATION CHANGES IN COMMITTEES (9) At the meeting of the Board on December 15, 1942 (Minutes, pages 210211), a report of progress was submitted on actions taken in carrying out the instructions of the Board given on November 27, 1942 (Minutes, pages 178-187), concerning recommendations in the Report of Booz, Fry, Allen, and Hamilton on their Survey of the University, and in the Administrative Review thereof. I now submit a report of additional changes made in educational and administrative organization and procedures for carrying out these objectives. One section of the Report of Booz, Fry, Allen, and Hamilton dealt with the number of committees, both administrative and advisory in function, in the University's organization, and suggested that the entire committee set-up needed overhauling. This section of the report asserted, although it did not prove, that the executive tasks in the University are complicated by an excessive number of committees. Nevertheless, a thorough review of all committees, including general University, college, and departmental committees, has been made and in some areas is still under way. As a result of this study the following changes are reported, and more will undoubtedly be made. Committees Appointed by the President.—Last year there were 53 committees appointed by, and responsible directly or indirectly to, the President of the University. ( I n many cases a committee was called on to function only