Repository: UIHistories Project: Board of Trustees Minutes - 1980 [PAGE 537]

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526

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

[February 21

In connection with the final resolution of that case, he made the following report:

Thereafter [upon receipt of the opinion], we filed with the U.S. Court of Appeals a petition for award of attorneys' fees and costs relating to the appeal. We did not seek attorneys' fees and costs for the effort expended in the defense of the original U.S. District Court proceedings. T h e Civil Rights Attorneys' Fees Awards Act of 1976 permits a court in its discretion to allow the prevailing party a reasonable attorneys' fee as part of the cost. Attorneys' fees may be awarded to a prevailing defendant if the plaintiff's claim was "frivolous, unreasonable, or groundless, or that the plaintiff continued to litigate after it clearly became so." T h e award of attorneys' fees does not require a finding that the plaintiff was motivated by subjective bad faith in initiating or continuing to litigate the claim. On January 15, 1980, the U.S. Court of Appeals entered an order granting our petition and awarding to the University attorneys' fees on the appeal in the amount of $5,278.75, and double cost in the amount of $167 for a total of $5,445.75.

Report, Illinois Board of Higher Education

M r . L e n z also r e p o r t e d o n t h e r e c e n t m e e t i n g of t h e B o a r d of H i g h e r E d u c a t i o n . H e e m p h a s i z e d t h e difficulty of t h e low p r i o r i t y listing of t h e L i b r a r y S i x t h S t a c k A d d i t i o n a t U r b a n a , a n d i n t r o d u c e d t h e following resolution with regard to t h a t m a t t e r : Be It Resolved, that the Board of Trustees reaffirms its strong support for the Library Sixth Addition on the Urbana-Champaign campus; that the board calls upon the governor, the legislature and the Illinois Board of Higher Education to recognize the unique role of the Library at Urbana and the contribution made by this great resource to the entire academic community in Illinois. No other capital improvement on the priority list for fiscal year (FY) 1981 higher education budget offers as much potential for the support of teaching, research, and public service, as the maintenance of the quality of the distinguished Library at Urbana. T h e r e s o l u t i o n w a s a p p r o v e d w i t h o u t dissent.

REGULAR AGENDA

T h e b o a r d c o n s i d e r e d t h e following r e p o r t s a n d r e c o m m e n d a t i o n s t h e p r e s i d e n t of t h e U n i v e r s i t y . from

Committee to Study the Consolidation of the Chicago Campuses

(4) Discussions of organizational relationships between the two campuses of the University of Illinois in Chicago began with the early consideration of a permanent campus for the operations at Navy Pier some thirty years ago. In the course of time, certain common operations between the campuses have developed, especially in support services. Presently, physical plant service to both is maintained from a single source; and the two campuses are officially regarded as a single place of employment for nonacademic personnel. The question of a more systematic examination of the question of greater interaction, perhaps consolidation, was a central topic at the Board of Trustees retreat at Allerton House on January 15-16, 1980. Although no judgment on the merits was made (or sought), the president was asked to prepare a plan for a thorough study of the question at an early date. A general plan for such a study now has been prepared, a copy of which is filed with the secretary. The plan identifies several specific questions and areas to be