Repository: UIHistories Project: Board of Trustees Minutes - 1914 [PAGE 606]

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604

UNTVEKSITY OF ILLINOIS.

[July 23,

RULE IN REGARD TO T H E NON-EMPLOYMENT OF RELATIVES REPEALED. Reports of committees being called for, Dr. Montgomery, as chairman of the special committee authorized at the meeting of June 25, 1913 (page 272) to consider proposed revisions of the rule in regard to the nonemployment of relatives, presented the following report: To the Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois: At a meeting of the special committee appointed to recommend modifications of the existing board rules on the employment of relatives of members of the board or of the faculty, the attached resolution was presented by Dr. Montgomery and on motion was adopted for recommendation to the board.

J. T. MONTGOMERY, ELLEN M. HENROTIN.

CHICAGO, June 23, 1913.

RESOLUTION. WHEREAS, It has been strongly urged upon the attention of the Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois that the rigid enforcement of the present rule concerning the appointment of relatives of the University staff to positions under the board may at times work serious injury to the University by excluding from its staff men of unusual distinction and merit or men especially well qualified for some particular piece of work in teaching, investigation, or administration. The existing rule reading as follows: (a) In the opinion of the board, all University positions should be kept upon the merit basis. No officer or employee should be removed except for good cause, and whenever an appointment is made it should be made solely with regard to special fitness, (b) The board stamps with its strongest disapproval any disposition to make patronage out of University appointments. The appointment of a relative of a member of the board, or of any other person occupying an influential position in the University, is wholly disapproved. Political, social, fraternal, or church influences are to be altogether ignored, and every appointment must be made upon the merit basis. The president and other officers of the University are to feel fully assured that the trustees will heartily support them in acting upon this principle; therefore, be it Resolved, That that portion of the rule referring to relatives be eliminated from the rule, as well as all constructions of this rule which have been made by the board since the rule was adopted up to the present time, and that the following rule be substituted for it and read as follows: (a) In the opinion of the board all University positions should be kept on the merit basis. No officer or employee should be removed except for good cause, and Whenever an appointment is made it should be made solely with regard to special fitness. (b) The board stamps with its strongest disapproval any disposition to make patronage out of University appointments. Political, social, fraternal, or church influences are to be altogether ignored, and every appointment must be made upon the merit basis. The President and other officers of the University are to feel fully assured that the trustees will heartily support them in acting upon this principle. Dr. Montgomery moved the adoption of the foregoing resolution. President Abbott, the third member of the special committee, having asked Mr. Moore to take the chair, presented the following recommendation as a minority report and moved its adoption as a substitute for the report presented by the majority of the committee. That the existing rules be modified so that they will not exclude members of the faculty who marry relatives of other members of the faculty.. When, after further discussion, the vote was taken, the motion to substitute the minority report for the report presented by the majority of the special committee was lost, the vote being as follows: Ayes, Mr, Abbott, Mrs. Evans; noes, Mrs. Busey, Mrs. Henrotin, Mr. Montgomery, Mr. Moore, Mr. Trevett, Miss Watson; absent, Mr. Blair, Mr. Dunne, Mr. Hoit, Mr. Meeker. The report of the majority of the special committee as presented by Dr. Montgomery was then adopted, the vote being as follows: Ayes, Mrs. Busey, Mrs. Henrotin, Mr. Montgomery, Mr. Moore, Mr. Trevett, Miss Watson; noes, Mr. Abbott, Mrs. Evans; absent, Mr. Blair, Mr. Dunne, Mr. Hoit, Mr. Meeker. At this point Mr. Abbott resumed the chair. President James asked permission to have it recorded in the minutes that the President of the University, while favoring the modification proposed in his previous recommendation, had opposed the total repeal of the rule with respect to the non-employment of relatives.