Repository: UIHistories Project: Board of Trustees Minutes - 1972 [PAGE 212]

EXTRACTED TEXT FROM PAGE:

202

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

[February

17

MINUTES APPROVED T h e Secretary presented for approval the minutes of the meetings of the Board beginning October 16, 1968, through J u n e 17, 1970, press proof copies of which had previously been sent to the Board. O n motion of Mr. Swain, these minutes were approved as printed on pages 117 to 1077 inclusive. BUSINESS PRESENTED BY T H E PRESIDENT OF T H E UNIVERSITY T h e Board considered the following reports and recommendations from the President of the University.

P R E S I D E N T ' S REPORT

President H e n r y presented a report on selected topics of current interest, copies of which were distributed at the meeting, and a copy was filed with the Secretary of the Board. MEETING RECESSED FOR MEETING OF FINANCE COMMITTEE T h e Board recessed for a meeting of the Finance Committee, which had agreed to receive presentations on the subject of tuition increases recommended by the Illinois Board of Higher Education (and the student aid question generally) from representatives of the Graduate Student Association and the U n d e r g r a d u a t e Student Association at the U r b a n a Champaign campus. Copies of statements prepared by these groups are filed with the Secretary for record.

THE NEED FOR IMPROVEMENT IN ILLINOIS PROGRAMS OF S T U D E N T AID IN HIGHER EDUCATION ( R E P O R T OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE)

( 1 ) W h e n the Board reconvened, M r . Steger, Chairman of the Finance Committee, presented the following resolution, and moved its adoption. H e indicated that the Committee recommended that the Board defer consideration of the tuition increases at this time. The tuition increases recommended by the Board of Higher Education on November 3, 1970, unfortunately were not accompanied by proposals designed to offset sufficiently next year the impact of such increases on students from families with below-average incomes. The Board of Higher Education program seems to be deficient in three main respects — quite apart from the more general question of whether or not the sharp increases recommended should be made in a single step: 1. The increases in scholarship funds proposed for the Illinois State Scholarship Commission (I.S.S.C.) are believed to be barely sufficient to meet the tuition increases for the individuals who would normally qualify for scholarships under current I.S.S.C. regulations. There is apparently no provision for an increased proportion of students whose financial need is very likely to increase due to higher tuition and other costs. 2. There will be no provision through I.S.S.C. appropriations to meet the increased need of lower-income students for funds to meet costs beyond tuition and fees. The Board of Higher Education has approved a study of this problem by its staff and the staff of the I.S.S.C; but no budget increase for these purposes is anticipated for next year. 3. The I.S.S.C. program makes no provision for any type of financial, aid for needy students at post-baccalaureate level, such as medicine, dentistry, law, veterinary medicine, and graduate study. In view of these prospective deficiencies in I.S.S.C. funding for Fiscal Year (FY) 1972, and considering the deletion of items in the University's budget request covering the last two types of needs just listed, the Board of Trustees