Repository: UIHistories Project: Board of Trustees Minutes - 1988 [PAGE 569]

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1988]

UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS

559

T h e council met frequently during the year; meetings were usually attended by Chancellor Weir and Vice Chancellors Berdahl and Liebman. The council does not restrict itself to discussions of educational policy; indeed, many subjects were considered that have not reached the senate floor. These included, for example, long-range planning for the University, Illini Union food service, instructors' oral proficiency in English, and the University's initiative in DuPage County. In addition, it worked on issues raised directly by the chancellor or vice chancellors, items arising from reports on meetings of the University Planning Council or the University Senates Conference, topics brought forward by committee chairs, and matters scheduled by the chair following some inquiry by a student or faculty member. T h e council met twice with President Ikenbeny to discuss items suggested by the council. The Fourth Annual Meeting of the Faculty was arranged by the council for October 26, 1987. This meeting included presentations by President IkenbeiTy and Chancellor Weir. Topics dealt with the current state of the University, including budgetary matters and program and resource planning. There was a period for questions from the audience. Below are some of the major issues reviewed by the senate and the council during the past year: * T h e quality of undergraduate education has been discussed extensively in the senate, following the release of last year's Q U E Report. Next year the senate will consider substantive changes in undergraduate education requirements, advising, and instruction. * T h e role of the campus Faculty Advisory Committee (FAC) was discussed. With the cooperation of the chancellor and the Office of Admissions and Records, the senate office will provide clerical support for the FAC in the future. * The academic calendar was discussed; the ad hoc committee (noted below) completed its work with a report to council. * Last year's Salary Policy Report was discussed; partly as a result of this report, the chancellor is establishing training sessions for new departmental executive officers. * Following a suggestion by the chancellor, the Senate Committee on Campus Operations was enlarged and given the task of identifying and trying to resolve systemic problems in the campus bureaucracy. * The council has established a procedure for the annual evaluation of the vice chancellors, a process that is now mandated by the Statutes. In addition to the 22 standing committees of the senate, three special committees were in operation this year. One was the Senate Review Commission which will make recommendations on possible changes in the structure and function of the senate. A second was the senate council ad hoc Committee on Policies Governing the Academic Calendar, which has completed its work and reported to the council; some of its recommendations will be brought to the senate. Finally, the council has appointed an ad hoc Committee on Termination of Academic Units. Among the standing committees of the senate, two of the most active were the Committees on Educational Policy and on University Statutes and Senate Procedures. T h e former has among its duties the responsibility for analyzing all curriculum changes and presenting them to the senate. The latter submits to the senate all changes in the Statutes and the General Rules, which are ultimately submitted to