Repository: UIHistories Project: Board of Trustees Minutes - 1984 [PAGE 296]

EXTRACTED TEXT FROM PAGE:

1983]

UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS

267

of staff for the last four years, has departed to pursue an academic career at a neighboring university. Accordingly, I am announcing today the appointment of Mr. David Olien as executive assistant to the president. In his new role, Mr. Olien will have general responsibility for the operations of the Office of the President. In this expanded role he will be the principal communication link between my office and other key segments of the University, including students, faculty, key administrative officers of the University, and others. He will also continue to carry responsibility for the general oversight of the University's relationships with State government, including both the executive and the legislative branches. He will bring a fresh perspective, needed sensitivity, and a strong commitment to the fundamental academic values for which this University stands. He has my complete confidence and the confidence of other general officers, and we all look forward to working with him. These expanded responsibilities are effective immediately. Among his first responsibilities Mr. Olien will oversee recruitment necessary to complete the staffing of the Office of the President and find a replacement as director of State relations. University Director of Public Affairs In the Office of Public Affairs, given our experience of the last year, it is increasingly apparent to all members of the University community that this function must be as strong as possible and function effectively if the welfare of the University is to be protected. I have asked Dean James Carey of the College of Communications to chair a University search committee to recommend to mc topflight candidates who can be considered for appointment as director of public affairs. The search process will proceed without delay, and I hope to be in a position to bring a recommendation before the board for action sometime during the fall. In the interim and in order to maintain momentum, I have asked Mr. John Burness, director of public affairs at the Urbana-Champaign campus, to take on added responsibilities as acting university director of public affairs. I appreciate his willingness to do so and his appointment is effective immediately. Admission Application Trends We now have available final reports on fall '83 admissions applications. Graduate applications for admission are up on both campuses of the University of Illinois — approximately 6 percent at Urbana-Champaign and some 14 percent at Chicago, exclusive of the health sciences. This reflects a general statewide trend, with graduate applications up some 8 percent statewide. At the undergraduate level, trends are mixed. The Urbana-Champaign applications for freshman admission are down very slightly, roughly 3 percent from a year ago. Applications at Illinois public universities generally are down by a comparable amount. Nonetheless, applications for freshman admission at the Chicago campus moved in a contrary direction, up by some 14 percent. Applications from transfer students arc up also in Chicago, from 2600 to 3200. Overall, we expect enrollment levels at the University of Illinois to remain stable, as they have over the last several years, and for the quality of our student body to continue to be quite strong. Library Computer System On July 2, Southern Illinois University at Carbondale joined the Library Computer System (LCS). The statewide automated library circulation and resource sharing system, administered by the University of Illinois, now serves patrons at 22 academic libraries in 18 Illinois colleges and universities, public and private. It contains records for over 7 million titles. At this time next year, LCS will carry records at 25 libraries from 21 institutions and the libraries of all four-year, state-supported institutions of higher educa-