Repository: UIHistories Project: Board of Trustees Minutes - 1980 [PAGE 535]

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BOARD OF T R U S T E E S

[ F e b r u a r y 21

inflation a n d t h e d e l a y in o b t a i n i n g i m p r o v e m e n t in fringe benefits. H e a n n o u n c e d t h a t h e w o u l d soon testify b e f o r e t h e Illinois P e n s i o n L a w s C o m m i s s i o n to seek a n i m p r o v e m e n t in s u r v i v o r s ' benefits for faculty a n d staff. H e r e m a r k e d f u r t h e r o n t h e special difficulty t h e U n i v e r s i t y of Illinois faces in salaries a n d benefits by v i r t u e of its h e a v y c o m p o n e n t of professional p r o g r a m s ; in p a r t i c u l a r , t h e c o m p e t i t i o n in salary a n d c o m p e n s a t i o n b e t w e e n f a c u l t y in professional schools w i t h professional p r a c t i t i o n e r s , i.e., in l a w , e n g i n e e r i n g , m e d i c i n e , v e t e r i n a r y m e d i c i n e , e t c . F i n a l l y , h e r e p o r t e d o n m e e t i n g s d u r i n g t h e p a s t week w i t h legislative l e a d e r s , a t w h i c h t i m e t h e s a l a r y a n d c o m p e n s a t i o n q u e s t i o n w a s stressed as well as o t h e r h i g h p r i o r i t y i t e m s of i n t e r e s t t o t h e U n i v e r s i t y : t h e e n e r g y p a c k a g e for w h i c h a p p r o p r i a t i o n s a r e n o w s o u g h t ; t h e S i x t h S t a c k A d d i tion to t h e L i b r a r y a t U r b a n a ; a n d t h e n e e d s of t h e L i b r a r y a t C h i c a g o

Circle.

Search Committee, Special Assistant to the President and University Director of Public Affairs

President Ikenberry announced the committee had been formed and was at work. Its membership is as follows: Dr. James W. Carey, dean, College of Communications, U r b a n a ; Dr. Ralph L. Westfall, dean, College of Business Administration, Chicago Circle; Dr. Seymour H. Yale, dean, College of Dentistry, Medical Center; and Dr. Earl W. Porter, secretary of the University, chairman.

Report, Senate Council, Chicago Circle

P r e s i d e n t I k e n b e r r y i n t r o d u c e d Professor W i l l i a m Sager, c h a i r m a n of t h e S e n a t e C o u n c i l a t C h i c a g o Circle, w h o h a d been asked to report on s e n a t e activities. Professor S a g e r m a d e t h e f o l l o w i n g c o m m e n t s : It is a privilege and pleasure for me to inaugurate before the Board of Trustees the first of what I hope will become a regular series of reports from the faculty of the Chicago Circle campus. T o place my remarks in perspective, I would like to summarize our present state of development. As President Ikenberry stated at the recent retreat held with the Board of Trustees, the concept of the campus mission has been remarkably consistent. It is to create a topflight institution of teaching, research and service; on the one hand comprehensive, and on the other hand, tailored to serve the special needs of the greater metropolitan area in northern Illinois. After a short period of explosive growth unsurpassed in American education, changes in public attitude toward higher education, financial limitations, and, for a time, a hostile Board of Higher Education, caused the campus to be virtually frozen in what might be termed an early adolescent stage. Now we are threatened by the possibility of enrollment decline. It should be recognized that the mission outlined represents a goal so ambitious that of many such attempts elsewhere, only a tiny few have succeeded, and clearly, the verdict in our case is not yet in. There are signs of health. For example, research conducted in just two buildings on this campus attracts more federal funding than at all the state higher educational institutions combined, aside from the University of Illinois, and the support continues to rise. There are disturbing signs, such as the observation that we attract a smaller and smaller proportion of the highly qualified students that came to us in the past.