Repository: UIHistories Project: Board of Trustees Minutes - 1980 [PAGE 72]

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62

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

[September 20

The student advisory vote was: Aye, Miss Kooper, Mr. Sobotka, Mr. Watson; no, none. On motion of Mr. Forsyth, this recommendation was approved by the following vote: Aye, Mr. Forsyth, Mr. Hahn, Mr. Howard, Mr. Lenz, Mr. Livingston, Mr. Neal, Mrs. Rader, Mrs. Shepherd, Mr. Velasquez; no, none; absent, Governor Thompson.

Procurement Policy for Education and Information Systems, Inc.

(21) I n July 1974 the Board of Trustees approved the purchase of the random access audio device, an accessory to the P L A T O system, for which the low bidder was Education and Information Systems, Inc. ( E I S ) , of Urbana. Because three officers of EIS were also University employees, the board's attention was drawn to the conflict of interest which would arise in such a purchase under the University's Regulations Governing Procurement and Bidding at the University of Illinois. The board's approval was sought and received as a specific exception for an "essential" purchase under those regulations, without commitment to similar transactions in the future. Each such future transaction was to be brought to the board on an individual basis. Despite efforts to recruit other manufacturers, EIS remains the only manufacturer which can supply, economically, the audio disk system and another P L A T O accessory, the slide selector system. Because of the technical intricacy of production and the limited market for these items, it is improbable that alternate sources of supply will soon be found. Therefore, the chancellor at the Urbana-Champaign campus has recommended approval of a policy to be followed in procurement of such items from EIS. A copy of this policy is being filed with the secretary of the board for record. T h e vice president for administration has recommended approval. I concur.

On motion of Mr. Livingston, this recommendation was approved.

Student Legal Services Plan, Urbana

(22) On June 21, 1978, the Board of Trustees adopted a Student Legal Services Plan which provides in part that "students' attorneys" are to be retained by the University on an annual basis under contracts which terminate on August 20 of each year. It has now been determined that more flexibility in establishing the commencement and termination dates of the annual contracts is desirable and that there should be some provision for interim or short-term engagement of students' attorneys. It has been recommended by the chancellor at Urbana and the university counsel: (1) that the commencement and termination dates of the annual contract with each students' attorney be determined as appropriate in each case at the time of approval of the contract by the Board of Trustees; and (2) that, without further action of the board, upon recommendation of the university counsel and concurrence of the chancellor at Urbana, the University may enter into such short-term contracts (not to exceed ninety days) as may be necessary to engage students' attorneys to implement the provisions of the Student Legal Services Plan, provided that funds are available for such purposes in the plan. Any engagement of a students' attorney on an interim short-term basis will be reported to the Board of Trustees. I concur.

The student advisory vote was: Aye, Miss Kooper, Mr. Sobotka, Mr. Watson; no, none.