Repository: UIHistories Project: Board of Trustees Minutes - 1986 [PAGE 459]

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448

BOARS OF TRUSTEES

(January 16

and that the package of support for academic programs was an attractive one. However, h e noted that already the governor had recommended a smaller amount dian requested for elementary and secondary education and that the recommendations of die Board of Higher Education might be reduced. George Williams College This college, located in Downers Grove, is now closed; and there have been efforts to transfer students to comparable schools and to find jobs for the faculty. A meeting between representatives of die board of trustees of die college and of public and private institutions in Illinois and the Board of Higher Education has been held, aldiough no solution to die college's future, or to die need for educational service in the area, has been found. T h e executive director of the Board of Higher Education, Dr. Richard Wagner, will form a committee to examine die problem in more detail, including die question of whether or not any public-sponsored programs in higher education should be offered in Downers Grove or in that area of DuPage County. President Ikenberry expressed a sense of doubt as to die need for a branch campus to provide conventional undergraduate programs, aldiough tiiere is a need for technological instruction in this rapidly growing area of the State. H e said that University of Illinois officers will review and consider what die appropriate role of diis institution might be. Prospective '86 The president, looking to 1986, commented on aspects of momentum, assessment, effort, and partnership inherent in die work of die University in die year ahead. H e cited die Beckman Institute, Biotechnology Building, Chicago Technology Park, telecommunications system, and a variety of capital and program efforts that will demand large amounts of time and effort. I n the "assessment" area, h e singled out die interest at U r b a n a in die evaluation and improvement of undergraduate education; other areas such as die physical setting and development of campus plans at both campuses; and the implications of die Gramm-Rudman-Hollings legislation to reduce the Federal deficit. Activities tiiat will require special attention and partnership widi otiiers include industry-University cooperative efforts; additional work widi die public schools of Illinois; continued efforts to recruit students from minority groups; and die need to develop further strong ties between die University and die city of Chicago. OLD AND NEW BUSINESS President Shepherd asked die trustees to report on matters of special interest as follows: Trustee Howard spoke briefly, to supplement written material he h a d sent earlier to die trustees, on the work of die State Universities Retirement System Board, of which h e serves as president (Mr. Forsyth is also