Repository: UIHistories Project: Board of Trustees Minutes - 1940 [PAGE 224]

EXTRACTED TEXT FROM PAGE:

1939]

UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS

221

amount to be paid to the applicants while on leave) payable from University funds is $47,080. T h e total amount involved, as recommended here, is $42,030. I further recommend that if there are any withdrawals the President of the University be authorized to grant applicants in group I I leaves of absence for one-half year on full pay, provided that the total amount of salaries involved is kept within the present total of $42,030. Any such modifications will be reported to the Board. O n m o t i o n of M r . P o g u e , t h e s e l e a v e s w e r e g r a n t e d a n d a u t h o r i t y w a s given t h e P r e s i d e n t as r e c o m m e n d e d . UNIVERSITY POSITIONS UNDER STATE CIVIL SERVICE (5) Since the enactment of the State Civil Service law in i o n , all positions in the University other than those in the teaching and scientific staff and a few exempt positions are made subject to classifications by the Civil Service Commission. T h r o u g h the years the Commission has established, on the University's recommendation, a distinct series of University classifications. These classifications, so far as clerical positions are concerned, are somewhat similar to State classifications but differ as to ( a ) educational requirements and (b) scale of salaries. The Commission has recently proposed standardizing clerical and secretarial positions in the entire State service thus eliminating existing University classifications, for which most University employees have passed examinations, and substituting classifications designed more particularly for various State Departments. As to educational requirements, the University has established minimum standards in the various positions, including high school graduation in all positions and college graduation in a number of positions. T h e reasons for such standards are obvious. First, the University, being an institution of higher education and requiring certain educational standards for its faculty as well as its students, should maintain those standards in the administrative organization as well. Second, the duties in University departments require persons with at least high school graduation and in many cases with college graduation as well. T h e proposed classifications of the Commission indicate varying educational standards, but in every instance provide that experience or other qualifications may be substituted for minimum educational requirements. This would mean that persons might be certified to the University with no education beyond grammar school and that it might be unable to secure persons with full college training. T h e arguments presented for the arrangement are that the Commission has been criticized for setting up standards which eliminate too many people from competition and that in many cases experience provides a satisfactory substitute for formal academic training. T h e argument for including the University in the regular State classifications is to reduce the number of examinations and increase the number of eligibles who might be available for appointment at the University. W i t h respect to salary scales, the Commission states that it is making an effort to establish minimum scales for certain types of service. T h e minimum for clerical service would be $100 a month. This rate of pay is considerably higher than that prevailing in the Champaign-Urbana community and higher than the minimum at which it is possible to get satisfactory persons. Moreover, $100 a month is too high a beginning salary for a person with only high school or business college training and no experience. The establishment of these minimum salaries would immediately increase the University budget requirements for clerical service by several thousand dollars. T h e Comptroller, as the University Appointing Officer for Civil Service positions, has been discussing these questions with the Commission. H e proposed to the Commission that minimum educational standards be provided for all positions. This the Commission is unwilling to do, feeling that in the State departments, which make up by far the largest proportion of total employees, the requirement is not essential. I t was then urged that the present classifications of the University, with such adjustments as are practicable to bring them into as close harmony as possible with State classifications, be continued.