Repository: UIHistories Project: Board of Trustees Minutes - 1928 [PAGE 321]

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BOARD OF TRUSTEES

[June 10

scholarship appointees upon the waiting list, and that said authorities give such appointees preference in admission to the professional schools of the University; and, be it further R E S O L V E D , That copies of this resolution be immediately sent to the Chairman of the Board of Trustees, and the President, of the University of Illinois. I hereby certify the foregoing to be a true copy of a resolution adopted by the House of Representatives on the 8th dav of June, 1927.

B. H. McCann

Clerk of the House FILED J U N E 16, 1927 Louis L. Emmerson Sec'y of State T h e President of the University stated that he also had received a copy of this resolution, and had sent a response, which he asked the Executive Committee to permit him to read and to spread on the minutes. O n motion of M r s . Busey, this permission w a s granted. T h e President of the University then read the following c o m munication : RESPONSE TO HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 70 June 18, 1927 To the Honorable Members of the House of Representatives By Courtesy of Honorable Robert Scholes, Speaker Springfield, Illinois Ladies and Gentlemen: I have received from the Secretary of State a copy of House Resolution No. 70, concerning the practice of the University in placing applicants for admission to the College of Medicine on a waiting list, in the order of the receipt of their credentials, after the number who can be accommodated in the College of Medicine, with our present buildings and equipment, has been reached. The Resolution states that "the adoption of this rule abrogates the intention of the legislature" and protests to the authorities of the University against the adoption of this rule and in particular against the application of the rule at the beginning of the fait semester. The Resolution further requests "the authorities of the University to abrogate the rule which places scholarship appointees upon the waiting list and that said authorities give such appointees preference in admission to the professional schools of the University." The Resolution provides that a copy be sent to the President of the University and to the President of the Board of Trustees. I have communicated the resolution to the Acting President of the Board, Honorable James W . Armstrong, of Rock Island, and he will call the Trustees together just as soon as practicable to consider your Resolution. I think this will probably be Tuesday or Wednesday. Since the Resolution provides that a copy be sent to the President of the University, I deem it m y duty as President to make m y own reply in recognition of the courtesy of the House of Representatives. Therefore, I beg leave to submit to the Members of the House of Representatives, the following facts: 1. Of late years, since the extension of the scholarships to the professional schools of the University, there have been more applicants for admission to the College of Medicine, and once or twice to the School of Pharmacy, than our facilities could accommodate. H o w rapid the increase has been is seen from the fact that the number of students in the Chicago departments has risen from 713 in 1919-20 to 1145 in the current year, and that in the same period the number of holders of General Assembly scholarships in these departments has increased from 9 to 250. Such a rapid growth could not be anticipated and is possibly due to the higher money value of the scholarship in the Chicago schools. This all means that the University is not yet provided with accommodations adequate to care for the great increase in the number of applicants.