Caption: Board of Trustees Minutes - 1980
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36 BOARD OF TRUSTEES [September 20 MINUTES APPROVED The secretary -presented for apprbvafthe press proof" 6f; the Tnifiutes of the Board of Trustees meeting of April 12, 1978, copies of which had previously been sent to the board. On motion of Mr. Wajson, these minutes were approved as printed on pages 581 to 604 inclusive. BUSINESS PRESENTED BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNIVERSITY Old and New Business Resolution in the Light of the Bakke Case O n July 19, 1978, at a meeting of the Committee on Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity, University Counsel J. J. Costello reviewed the recent decision of the U.S. Supreme Court on the Bakke case. In the course of that review it was suggested that the trustees might wish to reaffirm their commitment to the elimination of discrimination and to foster ameliorative programs. At the request of Mr. Neal, such a resolution was prepared and presented to the board for action at the September meeting. The text of the resolution is as follows: Resolved by the Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois that it reaffirms its commitment and policy (a) to eradicate prohibited and invidious discrimination in all its forms; (b) to foster programs within the law which will ameliorate or eliminate, where possible, the effects of historic societal discrimination; and (c) to comply fully in all University activities and programs with applicable federal and state laws relating to nondiscrimination and equal opportunity. On motion of Mr. Neal, the resolution as presented was approved unanimously. In the course of discussion it was pointed out that the statement and its substance should be viewed as a reaffirmation of a continuing, long-standing University policy. Request for Hearing Concerning University Investments in United States Corporations Doing Business in South Africa The president presented the following report: As I indicated to the board in the spring of 1978, the subject of university investment policies as those policies relate to corporations doing business in South Africa is a subject of continuing interest. On August 3 1 , 1978, Vice President Brady and I met in my office with three members of the Champaign-Urbana Coalition against Apartheid. This meeting was held at the request of Diane Meisenhelter, a member of the coalition, to review the procedures through which investment decisions are made at the University of Illinois. Vice President Brady reviewed these procedures in great detail. Toward the end of the session, the sense of the coalition that divestiture of stocks in all corporations doing business in South Africa is the appropriate response of a university to apartheid was presented. I indicated that I doubted that divestiture was a step which I would recommend or which the board would adopt and suggested that perhaps some strengthening or other modification of our current policy would be a proposal with better chances for success. I also indicated a willingness to arrange for a presentation by the coalition to the Finance Committee. I mentioned that the committee might also wish to hear from those with differing viewpoints at this hearing.
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