Repository: UIHistories Project: Board of Trustees Minutes - 1986 [PAGE 178]

EXTRACTED TEXT FROM PAGE:

1985]

UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS

167

$ 7 5 m i l l i o n . T h e s u p e r c o m p u t e r is d e s i g n e d t o p e r m i t r e s e a r c h a n d r e s e a r c h a p p l i c a t i o n s a t t h e h i g h e s t level of c o m p u t e r s o p h i s t i c a t i o n , w i t h i n v o l v e m e n t of t h e a c a d e m i c a n d i n d u s t r i a l c o m m u n i t y , n a t i o n a l l y a n d internationally. A t this t i m e , P r e s i d e n t S h e p h e r d a n n o u n c e d t h e e x e c u t i v e session w o u l d b e a d j o u r n e d for c o m m i t t e e m e e t i n g s .

MEETING OF THE BOARD AS A COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE: HEARING, AUXILIARY DEBT SERVICE, CHICAGO HOUSING PROJECT

F o l l o w i n g a m e e t i n g of t h e C o m m i t t e e o n B u i l d i n g s a n d G r o u n d s , t h e b o a r d c o n v e n e d as a C o m m i t t e e of t h e W h o l e a t 1 1 : 0 0 a . m . to c o n d u c t a h e a r i n g o n t h e " P o l i c y O p t i o n s for A s s i g n m e n t of D e b t Service a n d Fees f o r U n i v e r s i t y A u x i l i a r y F a c i l i t i e s . " I n i n t r o d u c i n g this m a t t e r , P r e s i d e n t I k e n b e r r y p r e s e n t e d t h e followi n g w r i t t e n s t a t e m e n t , m a k i n g c l e a r t h a t in d o i n g so h e w o u l d n o t b e p r e s e n t i n g a r e c o m m e n d a t i o n for specific a c t i o n a t t h e p r e s e n t m e e t i n g : I would like to make some opening comments which may be useful as a framework for our discussion. For some months now, the board and University community have considered improvements to the auxiliary facilities system on our campuses in Urbana-Champaign and Chicago; and those consultative and study processes continue. Concurrently, we have also studied the financing policies that should underlie the assignment of debt service and repair and replacement obligations between and among facilities and campuses. During this review, we have tended to focus on three policy alternatives, although one policy option effectively has been eliminated and more recently a new third option has emerged. We have examined the desirability of moving toward a University-wide student fee as a basis for financing all auxiliary enterprise improvements, including dormitories. I sense a general lack of enthusiasm for moving in this fundamentally new direction; and, therefore, we have effectively eliminated this option in our more recent planning. Dr. Bazzani will outline the three policy options under consideration. Basically they include: (a) moving toward an explicitly defined, campusspecific model; (b) moving toward a user-oriented, University-wide model; and (c) moving toward an eclectic or pragmatic solution. The third alternative grows out of recent discussions with the University Senates Conference and suggestions that we examine the feasibility of this alternative. It is important to ask: why the policy focus? Isn't there a policy to guide the assignment of debt-service obligations for auxiliary facilities? T h e answer is yes and no. Yes, we have a rich accumulation of past practice, but we do not have an explicit written policy to guide our planning. Within this framework, it may be useful to describe our practice. The operations of auxiliary facilities are self-supporting, except the indirect State support provided through membership by employees in the State Universities Retirement System and in the State-funded health and hospital insurance programs. Capital facilities are funded by a University-wide, long-term financing program. Debt service obligations and repair and replacement assessments for auxiliary facilities are paid