Repository: UIHistories Project: Board of Trustees Minutes - 1994 [PAGE 344]

EXTRACTED TEXT FROM PAGE:

332

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

[July 13

the open-mindedness, the fairness, the good foresight, and the skills as a conciliator and the person of great breadth that President Ikenberry is and brought to our great University. So, thank you both. We appreciate that.,, Next, Ms. Reese said the following to President Ikenberry: "One thing that has impressed me about Stan during my six-and-a-half-year tenure is that sometimes he has the uncanny ability to see around corners. He's been so good at helping us predict trends and he was the first to foresee trends or predict a problem we would face if we didn't do something first. Somehow he saw developments before anyone else. For example, after his recommendation and upon his advice, the University of Illinois began a process of reallocation that came to be called PQP by the IBHE. Actually, the University began this before BHE and we have not gotten the credit for it that I believe we deserve and the president deserves. And we also, upon his recommendation, began announcing tuition rates approximately a year in advance. We began that two years ago and now I understand that IBHE is asking all the campuses to follow that policy so that students and their families may plan what finances they're going to have to come up with a year in advance. These are just two examples of Stan's prescience, his foresight that we're going to miss very much and it wasn't until I went through two chancellor searches that I realized that Stan is also not just the president of the University of Illinois but he's a national figure in higher education. As such, and because of his long chairmanship of the Council of Ten and the AAUP and other national higher education groups he has led and served, he has a nationwide contact network. He knows everybody and we have certainly benefited from that, particularly during our process of interviewing finalists for major academic appointments. For that, Stan, we also thank you." (Trustee Calder left the meeting at this time.) At that time, Mrs. Gravenhorst spoke again, saying: "Stanley, I want you to know that one of the greatest privileges and pleasures of my service on this board has been working with you. I really truly mean that. Your extraordinary and excellent leadership of this University has provided our board with such a wonderful base of support at all times. I think that is unmatched really anywhere else in higher education in this country. We've also had the privilege of enjoying your total grasp of issues in higher education. Your total knowledge of every facet of what is happening in our own University and your outstanding ability, which I've always admired so much, to work with people very successfully — not only in academe but in government and in the ongoing process of creating funding and creating interest and enthusiasm for our University. Especially, I think we've been fortunate to enjoy your honesty and your integrity, your fairness to everyone, and your unswerving loyalty to the University and to all of us in this room, and your great optimism, upbeat attitude, and hopefulness. In my opinion,