Repository: UIHistories Project: Board of Trustees Minutes - 1994 [PAGE 185]

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1995]

UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS

173

to be $7 million for repair of two levels of parking spaces. Dr. Bazzani asked the board for authority to initiate this process by hiring Construction Technology Laboratories, Inc., as a project consultant. The committee members agreed by consensus to direct Dr. Bazzani to proceed and bring a report to them at their next meeting. There being no further business, the committee meeting was adjourned.

MEETING OF THE COMMITTEE ON ACADEMIC AFFAIRS

Ms. Reese introduced the meeting and indicated that Dr. Larry Braskamp, dean of the College of Education at Chicago, would present information concerning the various efforts of the college to reach out to the city and the public schools in Chicago. Dean Braskamp then described programs developed over the past five years in the college to interact more closely with the public schools and the fact that faculty with interests in working on issues confronting urban schools have been specifically recruited by the college. Following these remarks he turned to one of the faculty members of the college, Professor William Ayers, and invited Dr. Ayers to describe the latest partnership activity undertaken by the college to provide assistance to the Chicago schools, the Annenberg Challenge Grant award. Professor Ayers summarized the events in which he had participated with groups involved in helping to achieve success in securing this award and stressed that he thought that the Chicago schools must be a part of this nationwide effort to assist urban schools because of the good record established in Chicago in the past several years that included activities of the College of Education at UIC. He indicated that he hoped the grant would be used to revitalize the initiative under way in Chicago regarding school reform. He told the board of a group known as the Chicago School Reform Collaborative which was created by the Annenberg grant. He noted that money for this was not to go to the central office of the school board in Chicago. He said the Collaborative was formed to get money directly to the individual schools. He also said that an important part of the plan is to create time for teachers to interact with each other. Dr. Ayers explained that since the Board of Education is not administering this grant, the fiscal agent for the present will be the Donors Forum of Chicago. He explained that eventually an independent board will be formed with a director to act as fiscal agent and another individual to act as project director. Lastly, Dr. Ayers reminded all that the Annenberg grant is a challenge grant. Money to match this must be raised in Chicago. There being no further business, the committee adjourned and the board recessed for lunch. (A brief description on research on sickle cell disease was presented following lunch. A copy is filed with the secretary of the board.)