Repository: UIHistories Project: Board of Trustees Minutes - 1988 [PAGE 566]

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556

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

[June 9

EXECUTIVE SESSION1 President Howard, referring to Section T w o 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." T h e motion was m a d e by Mr. Forsyth and approved unanimously.

I.

At the first executive session, the attendance included trustees, officers of the board, and general University officers. McDowell vs. Erickson, et al. (1) Nicholas McDowell, a minor, was a patient of Dr. Jack W. Miller, a family practitioner at the University's Mt. Morris Health Center. Dr. Miller referred McDowell to a private ophthalmologist for follow-up care and diagnosis. The latter failed to diagnose the presence of a tumor in a timely fashion. As a result, McDowell lost sight in both eyes and has a shorter life expectancy. McDowell alleges that the family practitioner should have followed up. A settlement has been agreed upon for a total of $569,000. The co-defendants have agreed to divide this cost with 40 percent of the cost being assigned to the University physician. The university counsel recommends that authority be granted to expend not more than $227,000 from its self-insurance fund for its portion of the settlement. Recovery above the $100,000 deductible would be sought from the insurance carrier, Beacon/ICI. I concur. O n motion of Mrs. Gravenhorst, this recommendation was approved by the following vote: Aye, M r . Forsyth, Mrs. Gravenhorst, Mr. H a h n , Mr. Howard, Mrs. Shepherd, Miss Smith, Mr. Wolff; no, none; absent, Mrs. Galder, Mr. Logan, Governor Thompson. ( T h e student advisory vote was: Aye, M r . Evenson, M r . Wylie; no, none.) (Mrs. Calder and M r . Logan arrived shortly after this action was taken.) Beacon/ICI Negotiations Report University Counsel Higgins reviewed this matter, now in trial stage in North Carolina. Although he expected a court ruling favorable to the

1 On the previous day, Wednesday, June 8, the Affirmative Action /Equal Opportunity Committee convened to receive a status report on implementation by the University of the Illinois Minority and Female Business Enterprise Act from Dr. Michele Thompson, special assistant to the president. All State agencies comply with the act within three years, viz., achieve a goal of 10 percent in dollar value of qualified purchases from State funds from minority and female vendors, including construction and capital projects. At least 5 percent (half of the 10 percent) is to be purchased from female-owned businesses. Administrative rules and reports are to be prepared and the University will have a liaison officer to the minority and female business enterprise council, an entity of the^ Illinois Department of Central Management Services. Dr. Thompson will serve in this capacity. The trustees will be asked to adopt policies and procedures for the University's compliance, documents to be reviewed at the State level. Later, on Wednesday, the trustees met in the newly completed Housing and Commons Facility at the Chicago campus and toured the structure. (Written material concerning the Housing and Commons and other student residence facilities at Chicago is filed with the secretary.)