Repository: UIHistories Project: Board of Trustees Minutes - 1978 [PAGE 192]

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1977]

UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS

181

First and foremost, thank you, each of you. This election is an honor, and one which I deeply appreciate. I n fact, I'm grateful to be here as an elected Trustee at all. I'll do my best to warrant your trust and to serve you. I can promise good intentions, hard work, a strong sense of challenge, and certainly a healthy humility. There are two other special areas of gratitude I feel. I n the first place, I couldn't be a Trustee without the help and full support of my wife, Sylvia. She has been extremely supportive about the many demands upon time that this job brings. She is also an excellent proofreader and sounding board. I can only hope that she knows how much I appreciate her attitude and her help. The other special area we've already spoken to. Earl Neal is a tough act to follow. So far as I'm concerned, he could be President forever. His calm, fair, and diplomatic leadership has been an inspiration to us all. The Board and the University are truly in your debt, Earl, and you should know that we are grateful. Earl's contributions, and the challenges of the coming year, bring me back to a basic question — Why do any of us want to be Trustees? T h e position pays no salary and takes very substantial time from home and work. It is an honor, to be sure. More important, however, we and our families pay this price in time and effort because each of us feels a strong sense of responsibility and obligation to the people of this state. We have feelings of obligation for educational benefits received and for fulfillment of feelings of civic duty. But try as hard as I may to repay that obligation and fulfill that duty, I find that being a Trustee returns more dividends to me than I can bring to the office. We all benefit from broadening of the intellect, from wider experience and learning from new situations, and especially from close relationships and friendships with people — students, faculty, staff, and administrators. These benefits make it all worthwhile — and make it hard to feel self-righteous about giving time and effort to public service. This job may be hard work, but it is individually enriching, and it's fun. Where do we go from here? Earl's policies of full participation by everyone on the Board will be continued. Together we'll work for even better results in several areas particularly. We need to increase coordination and communications between: Trustees and students, Trustees and administrators, Trustees and faculty, Trustees and staff. The University is, after all, people. More than ever, there must be better communication and understanding among all segments of this institution for the University to be effective and to maintain its quality. Another major priority will be concerns of "scope and mission." As a University, what are we noiv, what ought we to be, and how do we get there? The University of Illinois has been accused of striving to be an "elitist" institution. That charge delineates two of our prime goals, often repeated in scope and mission statements. On one hand, the University is, and should be (in the sense I understand that term), an elitist institution. We must strive to attract, to stimulate, to teach, and to return to the public the finest, brightest people available, and we must engage in the highest quality research and public service. Nothing less than the best will do. This effort demands that the University of Illinois attract and keep the best people — teachers, thinkers, researchers, staff, and administration — possible. If these goals are "elitist," then we would plead guilty. On the other hand, this is a public university, built and maintained by the people to serve every segment of our state. We cannot limit our access to those favored in background or opportunity. We must find better ways to reach and insure access to an everwidening portion of our state community.