Repository: UIHistories Project: Board of Trustees Minutes - 1988 [PAGE 451]

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1988]

UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS

441

lost; and where key faculty and staff have become targets for raiding from other universities; and Whereas, the effects of the current crisis in educational funding in Illinois grows more severe with every week and month which passes; and Whereas, when inflation is accounted for, Illinois is spending 25 percent less per student than it did 15 years ago; and Whereas, the State of Illinois has the capacity to support education, ranking among the bottom one-third of all states for state and local taxes per $1,000 of personal income; and Whereas, a number of other states have responded to a similar challenge by acting to increase revenues available for education; and Whereas, when previously confronted with an educational funding crisis Illinois has acted to maintain quality and opportunity for its citizens; and Whereas, active citizen involvement and strong leadership from the legislative and executive branches of Illinois government is essential; Be It Therefore Resolved, that the Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois, as elected representatives of the people of Illinois and charged with responsibility for the efficient governance of the University, urges a renewal of Illinois' commitment to educational excellence; and urges the Governor and General Assembly to provide the financial resources necessary to fulfill that commitment. The Board of Trustees hereby reconfirms its own commitment to the effective and efficient use of those new resources and expresses its confidence that further investment in the special strengths of the University of Illinois will yield substantial returns to future generations of students and to all Illinois citizens.

On motion of Mr. Logan, the foregoing resolution was adopted unanimously.

OLD AND NEW BUSINESS

President Ikenberry then presented the following statement:

Tribute Mayor Harold Washington

The Board of Trustees notes with sadness the death on November 25 of the Mayor of Chicago, the Honorable Harold Washington. In his continuous search for expansion of economic opportunity for all people, Mayor Washington understood well the value of the University in the life of the City as a catalyst for development. Most of all, however, he understood the importance and the need for affordable, accessible higher education for the people of Chicago. With his ability to articulate that value, fortified by his own achievements as a model, he could — and often did — communicate with the youth of the City and, in so doing, inspired them to reach ever higher. The Mayor and the University's Chicago campus had a special affinity for each other. The Mayor seemed comfortable on campus, visiting on many occasions, both formally and unannounced, talking with students and staff. And the campus welcomed his visits and support. The Mayor saw the University as a resource for the City administration, tapping the knowledge and professional skill of our faculty and administrators in many areas, including departmental leadership in economic development, business systems, mass transit and others.