Repository: UIHistories Project: Board of Trustees Minutes - 1904 [PAGE 121]

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1903.]

PROCEEDINGS OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES.

97

3. The fees from applicants shall he turned over to the Business Manager of the University, who shall keep a separate account of all receipts and expenditures under this law.

This report was received for record and the recommendations calling for action were adopted. President Draper nominated as members of the board to examine candidates for the degree of C. P. A. the following: Mr. A. W. Dunning for the three-year term, Mr. C. W. Knisley for the two-year term, and Mr. Ernest Reckitt for the one-year term. The nominations were approved.

REPORTS.

December 19, 1899, the Board adopted the following resolutions touching the transmission of certain reports to the members of the Board, in advance of meeting, viz., Reports of Beans. " 1 9 . (a) To insure more intelligent action on the part of the Trustees, typewritten copies of such reports of the Deans of the several colleges as are made shall be sent from the office of the President of the University to each member of the Board live days before the quarterly meetings." "(b) These reports shall be confined strictly to the internal affairs of the several colleges and to their immediate needs in respect to the facilities for instruction. At the meeting of the Board the President shall present his approval or otherwise of any suggestion in these reports, which shall be considered the first official recognition of their existence." "(c) These typewritten copies shall be prepared in the offices of the Deans and sent to the President with the original reports/' [Adopted December 19, 1899.] I felt at the time that there were certain elements in this legislation which unintentionally invaded the executive freedom of the President of the University, but I did not care to seem to be a stickler for prerogative, unnecessarily, and said little about it. I have happily lived long enough to know that with people who have no end save the right in view the right is made clear in the course of time, and no great wrong is suffered by the trial of experiment. The purpose of the Board in adopting the resolutions was, as it was declared to be, to secure information in advance which would aid intelliegnt action upon business to be submitted at an approaching meeting. But the result is much more than that: it tends unmistakably to nothing less than a lessening of respect for the office of President of the University, and a change in the character of the reports. Officers speak of their reports to the Board of Trustees, and to the public, when they are not expected to report to anyone but the President; and they introduce recommendations touching matters concerning which they have no responsible authority, with the evident expectation that they will be specifically approved or disapproved by official action. Under the operation of the resolution information upon confidential matters reaches persons personally interested, in advance of lawful action, and produces unnecessary and hurtful discussions throughout University circles, and sometimes outside of them. No one can expect to meet, justly and rationally, the responsible duties of President of this University, in the proportions which the University has now attained, unless his office is amply fortified and sustained, and his executive freedom is kept intact. Policies must be pursued which keep all officers and teachers at the matters for which they are responsible, and promote exactness rather than confusion in administration.

—7U.