Repository: UIHistories Project: Board of Trustees Minutes - 1988 [PAGE 428]

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BOARD OF TRUSTEES EXECUTIVE SESSION I

[November 12

President Howard, referring to Section Two of the Open Meetings Act, stated: "A motion is now in order to hold an executive session to consider information regarding the appointment, employment, or dismissal of employees or officers, to discuss pending, probable, or imminent litigation, the acquisition of real property, and to discuss campus security." The motion was made by Mr. Forsyth and approved unanimously.

Review, Report to the President: Improving Public Affairs Coordination at the University

At the request of President Ikenberry, the author of the report, David W. Olien, executive assistant to the president, reviewed its major recommendations and background. The report is presented now, after a period of review and discussion with the general officers and public affairs officers at the University, and a final review by the president. The trustees had received copies of the document in advance of the meeting. (A copy is filed with the secretary for record.) Briefly, the report recommends: that the authority and responsibility of the university director of public affairs be clarified and strengthened; that a public affairs group, chaired by the director, develop and continually update a strategic public relations plan for the University; that the responsibility of the University Development Committee be broadened — and its name changed to the President's Committee on External Affairs — and that the committee provide general oversight of public affairs; that centrally held funds be made available to the university director for grants for special initiatives in public affairs; and, finally, through the usual budgeting and planning process that additional resources be made available for public affairs at the Chicago campus. The trustees endorsed the report's major directions, with particular enthusiasm for arrangements for long-range planning. There were questions as to the clarity of the distinctions that must be made between public affairs problems that are campus-related and those that are clearly university in character. The president responded that it will be the responsibility of the chancellors and the university director to make the new arrangements successful and to monitor the imperfections, if there are any. There being no further business, the executive session adjourned at 12:55 p.m. for committee meetings. [For the remainder of the day on November 11, the board met in the following committees: (1) the University Hospital Committee at which time status reports on the financial operations of the hospital were presented ; discussion held on an agenda item for a contract with die Hospital Corporation of America Management Company; and finally, discussion of a draft proposal by Dean Forman to some members of the Cook County Board on November 3. In the latter instance, diere was extended discussion of the fact that