Repository: UIHistories Project: Board of Trustees Minutes - 1920 [PAGE 35]

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UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS

31

all indicated in great detail. Owing to the very unusual condition of things during the past year, the heads of various departments have found it difficult to prepare their estimates for the coming year in time. The continued inroads on the members of our academic staff by calls to other work, either through the draft for the Federal Armies or through inducements offered to enter Federal service or other State service, or private enterprise, have made it necessary to reconstruct the budget almost every day for the past three months. Our income for the next year is, however, practically a fixed sum, and our expenditure must fall within that amount. I have prepared, therefore, a budget based on that principle and am asking that this budget be approved in the large items, leaving the detailed readjustments to the arrangements which I may find it possible to make as the work develops. Generally speaking, the budget for the coming year is essentially the same as for the past year in its totals. We shall be able with the balance still in our building fund to inclose the Smith Music Hall so as to protect it against the weather for an indefinite time, though we shall not be able to complete the buildng. The Education building will be practically completed ready for the furniture. We are proposing, however, no new building, except the Agronomy barn already approved, and the addition to the Library Stack, which has also been approved. If we should find it possible to construct the McKinley hospital during the year from the proceeds of the sale of the McKinley securities or other sources, we may add that building, or so much of it as we may construct, to the building plan. If we should find some way of financing the enterprise, I think it would be extremely desirable to begin our hospital in Chicago on the site immediately south of our Pharmacy buildings. All these building projects may be properly classed as war work, and as absolutely necessary if we should be called upon to provide additional space in University Hall for aviators. Generally speaking, we shall not be able to plan for the opening of new departments or the enlargement of present departments. It is necessary for us to enlarge the budget for the School of Education to its former size before Doctor Bagley left us by accepting the call to Columbia, and before Professor Johnston left us by death. We have also recommended to the Board, and this has been approved, that a Bureau of Educational Research be organized as part of the School of Education, and Doctor B. R. Buckingham has been appointed as Director of the same. Our printing and publishing work we propose to organize in a more definite and efficient manner under the head of a University Press, of which Mr. H. E. Cunningham is proposed as Director in addition to his duties as Secretary of the Board of Trustees. For the purpose of enabling him to do this work satisfactorily, I propose to relieve him of the duties involved in being Assistant Registrar. The most important items of new expense are really those connected with our attempt to help the State Board for Vocational Education to take advantage of the provisions of the Smith-Hughes Bill, discussed above, by