Repository: UIHistories Project: Board of Trustees Minutes - 1900 [PAGE 294]

EXTRACTED TEXT FROM PAGE:

274

UNIVERSITY O F I L L I N O I S .

[April

18,

2. That the teachers in the summer teim be paid as follows, viz.: Professors, the sum of two hundred and fifty ($250.00) dollars for the term; Associate and Assistant Professors, the sum of two hundred ($200.00) dollars for the term. Instructors and Assistants, the sum of one hundred and twenty ($120.00) dollars for the term. In the cases of Professor Forbes and Professor Meyers, who can give but a portion of their time to the work, it is recommended that they be paid the full amount of their rank and that they settle with their personal assistants, Kofoid in one case and Mr. Short in the other. 3. That the sum of one hundred ($100.00) dollars, or as much as may be necessary, be appropriated to meet any deficiency which may arise in the amount heretofore appropriated for the expense of lectures; and that the sum of one hundred ($100.00) dollars, or as much as may be necessary, be appropriated to meet any deficiency in the incidental expenses of the department of music. 4. In September, 1896, the University purchased from the Clayton F. Summy Company, of Chicago, a Chickering grand piano, for which it paid six hundred ($600.00) dollars and received a guaranty for five years. The piano has not given satisfaction and will not remain in tune more than ten days at a time. The sellers have been asked to make the guaranty good, but have refused to do so although they have made some propositions concerning the disposition of the instrument. It will be necessary to do something about the matter, for there seems no doubt that the instrument will have to be replaced. I therefore recommend that I be authorized to take any action in the premises which may seem for the best interests of the University. 5. A movement has started among the residents on Green street in Urbana for sprinkling that street during the months frbm May 1st to October 1st. Many have joined in it and would like to have the University become a party to the arrangement. The contractor proposes to sprinkle Green street through the University grounds, and Burrill avenue from University Hall to the Armory, for the sum of one hundred ($100.00) dollars for the five months. This raises the question as to what the University policy should be. We do not want to fail to cooperate with our neie-hbors in any laudable public enterprise, but it is a question whether we should not do this work on our own account. Our grounds will need sprinkling beyond the limits suggested by this contract. Our roadways south of University Hall might be sprinkled in the summer time to good advantage. We have the man and the team to do this work, and if we had the sprinkling cart it could be done as an incident to the general work upon our grounds. I am inclined to think that it would be better to put the money into the necessary equipment than to pay it to an outside contractor, and with this suggestion I submit the matter to the Board for its determination. 6. At the last meeting of the Board it was voted not to accept the resignation of Professor Holden which had been tendered, but rather to give him a leave of absence until September 1st, and to increase his salary to two thousand five hundred ($2,500.00) dollars4 from that time. Soon after the meeting Professor Holden called upon me in reference to the matter and said that he was not ready to say what he would do, but that he did not expect to accept the proposition of the Board. He has not yet given any decisive answer, and I think the case calls for further and immediate action by the Board. Many salaries of professors are inadequate to the services rendered. This is not regarded as an injustice so long as they are paid with relative fairness and as much as the revenues will allow. When one is paid much more than other men of much more elaborate and costly training and much more successful experience in university work can hope to receive for a number of years at least, it is unjust and is so regarded. Moreover, under the present conditions in this case, the University is prevented from taking steps to fill the position if it is to become vacant. The position is important, men adapted to it are scarce, and every day of inaction at this time of the year seriously prejudices our interests. Furthermore, I shall not hesitate to say that in my opinion the reasons are abundant why Professor Holden should not return to the University. I therefore recommend that the action of the Board at its last regular meeting, referring to him, be rescinded and that his resignation be accepted.