Repository: UIHistories Project: Board of Trustees Minutes - 1984 [PAGE 15]

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BOARD OF TRUSTEES

LJuly29

Weir, presently professor of psychology at the University of Illinois at UrbanaChampaign, as vice president for academic affairs, effective August 21, 1982, on a twelve-month service basis at an annual salary of $81,500. Dr. Weir will continue to hold the rank of professor of psychology. Dr. Weir succeeds Dr. Peter E. Yankwich who resigned as vice president for academic affairs to return to the pursuit of his duties as professor of physical chemistry at the beginning of this academic year. An experienced academic administrator and a productive senior scholar, Dr. Weir has extensive knowledge of the University of Illinois, its mission, academic programs, and operations. Receiving his baccalaureate degree from Knox College and his graduate education at the University of Texas at Austin, he has been a member of the faculty at the University of Illinois since 1960 when he accepted appointment as assistant professor in the Department of Psychology at UrbanaChampaign. He served as head of the psychology department from September 1969 until he was appointed vice chancellor for academic affairs at the Urbana-Champaign campus in September 1971, a position he held until 1979. As previously reported to the Board of Trustees, it is my intention to strengthen substantially the Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs and its leadership role in the University. Functioning under authority delegated by the president of the University, the vice president for academic affairs is the senior academic officer of the University, serving as adviser to the president on matters of educational policy, programs, academic personnel actions, and academic budget development, including judgments as to academic priorities and resource allocation. T h e vice president for academic affairs is responsible for the overall coordination of academic planning at the University and in this role will serve as cochairperson of the University Planning Council with the executive vice president. He works closely with academic leaders on each campus to assist in the advancement of academic programs and to ensure overall coordination. He will have full access to the staff and data base essential to the planning function and as required for the general operations of the office. T h e vice president for academic affairs will be an active spokesman for the University's academic programs, both within the University community and before the Board of Trustees, the Illinois Board of Higher Education, and the public at large. He is an advocate of academic quality at all levels and sectors of the University. He exercises direct line authority over certain universitywide programs, including the Office of Continuing Education and Public Service, the Institute of Government and Public Affairs, the Office of School and College Relations, the Survey Research Laboratory, and the University of Illinois Press. The vice president for academic affairs chairs several key councils and committees as assigned by the president of the University. These include the academic council, the councils on public service, international education, graduate education and research, federal relations, and the committees on patents and copyrightable works. He serves as a member of the committee on state relations. Under the direction of the president, the vice president for academic affairs serves with other general officers of the University as a member of the University Policy Council. In view of the central importance of this appointment to the faculty of the University, I have sought and received the assistance of a consultative committee. 1 T h e committee conducted an extensive search which yielded a field of highly1 Kenneth E. Andersen, associate dean, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and professor of speech communication, Urbana-Champaign, chairman; Matthew R. Bettenhausen, student trustee, Urbana-Champaign; Phillip M.. Forman,_ dean of the Abraham Lincoln School ol Medicine and acting dean of the School of Basic Medical Sciences, Medical Center; Samuel Gove, director of the Institute of, Government and Public Affairs; Helen Grace, dean of the College of Nursing, Medical Center; Robert L. Hall, professor of sociology and director of the Office of Social Science Research, Chicago Circle; Nelson J. Leonard, professor of chemistry and in the Center for Advanced Study, Urbana-Chanrpaigii; Ernest F. Masur, professor and head of the Department of Materials Engineering, Chicago Circle; Charles' H. Smith, professor of accountancy, UrbanaChampaign; Victor J. Stone, professor of law, Urbana-Champaign; Pierson Van Alten, professor of anatomy,' Medical Center.