Repository: UIHistories Project: Board of Trustees Minutes - 1980 [PAGE 180]

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170

BOARD OF T R U S T E E S

[February 21

Mr. Stone moved the adoption of the resolution, with the incorporation of an amendment proposed by Mr. Howard, as follows: T h a t the subject of the resolution be referred to the Executive Committee of the Board, the Committee to take such further action as may be necessary, including discussion with the Medical Center Commission and the possibility of the Commission's seeking condemnation of the property. In short, the Executive Committee is authorized to explore all possible avenues for remedy of the present situation. Requests from the Union of Professional Employees, Urbana President Corbally presented requests received by him (and by the president of the Board of Trustees) in which the Union of Professional Employees (UPE) asked to appear before the board at its March meeting; and expressed the UPE's view that "an official referendum of the entire academic staff [should] be conducted by the Board of Trustees during the period from April 6 to April 16," asking that the question of such a referendum be placed on the agenda for the March meeting. In response, and on motion of Mr. Howard, the trustees agreed to arrange for the General Policy Committee of the board to hear representatives of the union at the March meeting. Believing it unnecessary to delay further a response to the second request (with regard to board sponsorship of a referendum), on motion of Mr. Howard, the trustees reaffirmed their earlier position with regard to collective bargaining and referenda and declined the request. 1 (A report of these actions will be made to the Illinois Federation of Teachers who had sent the trustees a letter supporting the U P E requests.) 2 Uniform Statewide Step Plan In November 1978, the Board of Trustees was asked to review a document entitled "Proposal for the Establishment of a Uniform Statewide Step Plan," a proposal developed by the staff of the Civil Service Merit Board. President Corbally submitted to the trustees an administrative review of the plan and asked board approval to forward the statement as the University's response to the Merit Board. O n motion of Mr. Howard, the request was approved, and the document will be sent forward as indicated. (A copy is filed with the secretary of the board for record.) Tuition Recommendation — Fiscal Year (FY) 1980 T h e president had sent an advance memorandum on this subiect to the trustees, and background material had been presented by the Office of the Vice President for Administration. In brief, the documents indicated that

1 Earlier positions of the Board of Trustees on this subject are recorded in the minutes of January 17, 1968, p. 890; February 21, 1968, p. 894: and February 17, 1971, p. 203. s The trustees also received a communication from Professor Jiri Jonas on behalf of faculty of the School of Chem'cal Sciences at Urbana, expressing the view that "it would be highly inappropriate for the Board of Trustees to sanction or otherwise encourage the effort of any organization to become the collective bargaining agent for the faculty of the University."