Repository: UIHistories Project: Board of Trustees Minutes - 1926 [PAGE 102]

EXTRACTED TEXT FROM PAGE:

1924]

UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS

99

This report was received for record. COMPTROLLER'S REPORT OF CONTRACTS EXECUTED (24) The Comptroller's report of contracts executed from Sept. 23 to Oct. 23. Lease Contract executed under general regulations regarding contracts (See also action of Board, April 12, 1924). Property Rental Date Tenure Lessee 1756 W . Polk £245 9-27-24 (10-1-24) Katherine Walker (Top flat) (4-30-25) Miscellaneous Contract executed under general regulations regarding contracts. Name Amount Date Item Chicago Opera Trio $300 9-27-24 Concert Oct. 22 This report was received for record. THE LEGISLATIVE BUDGET (25) The approach to a budget for any biennium must be from the side of cost of operation, for the University must continue to serve the students. It is necessary, therefore, to decide first how much more money will be needed in the succeeding biennium than was needed in the present biennium for purposes of operation. In order to reach a conclusion on this matter I requested the various deans and directors months ago to submit their estimates of the probable increase of their needs for operation in the coming biennium. These have all been carefully considered. The conclusion as to the sum herewith recommended was reached after conference with these and other officers of the University. There is no limit to what an institution like this m a y properly undertake to do from educational and scientific points of view. The limitation on this view is expense. In making up an operating budget, therefore, for an institution like this, the great difficulty and the constant struggle is to keep demands justifiable from an educational and scientific point of view within the limits of reasonable expenditure. W h a t seems reasonable from the point of view of a single department or a single college m a y be very unreasonable from the point of view of the University as a whole, or from that of the tax payers. It follows that any officer whose duty it is to keep within reasonable financial limits, to make an adjustment of proposed expenditures which will put things in their proper scale of relative values from the point of view of the University as a whole, and at the same time make allowance for expansion arising from an increased number of students or legitimate ambition of our staff, is likely to be regarded by the representatives of particular interests as hostile to them. But this is one of the consequences that he must face. Moreover, he is under constant pressure from outside interests to promote new enterprises. Some of the appeals on educational, or scientific, or public welfare grounds, are proper for the University to do i f means to do them were provided. Others are not proper for the University to do under any circumstances. The University, that is, the Board of Trustees, acting on the best advice it can get, must be thefinaljudge of what should be undertaken. In the operating budget herewith recommended I have done m y best to reconcile the various points of view, to make allowance for an income which will, in its total. make possible a proper recognition of relative educational and scientific values in the various divisions of the University, and at the same time to keep within financial limits that we can justify. W h e n w e have decided on the amount necessary for operation in the next biennium we are face to face with our building needs. W h a t is needed a n d w h a t is available for this purpose? If we are to take the view that the appropriation from the state legislature for the next biennium is to be no larger than what w e received two years ago, obviously the difference between what we propose for operation and