Repository: UIHistories Project: Board of Trustees Minutes - 1972 [PAGE 633]

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1972]

UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS

623

general university levels. (The Institute of Aviation and the Institute of Labor and Industrial Relations are campus level organizations; the Institute of Government and Public Affairs is a general university organization.) Inasmuch as the generic references seem to cover the subject adequately, deletion of Sections 30, 31, and 32 appears appropriate. I recommend provisional approval of the preceding revisions, with the stipulation that the Trustees defer final approval until the present action has been reported to the Senates and to the University Senates Conference for their information and further advice. In presenting this recommendation, the President indicated his belief that the University Counsel should be designated as an officer of the Board of Trustees. W i t h the consent of the Board, he stated that appropriate revision in the By-Laws would be submitted as soon as possible and would include as well the provision that the Trustees in electing the Secretary, Comptroller, and University Counsel should act with the advice of the President of the University. On motion of Mr. Swain, provisional approval was given as recommended by the following vote: Aye, M r . Forsyth, M r . H a h n , M r . H o w a r d , M r . Hughes, Mr. Karnes, Mr. Neal, Mr. Pogue, Mr. Swain; no, none; absent, D r . Bakalis, Governor Ogilvie, Mr. Steger.

DISCONTINUANCE OF ACADEMIC CREDIT FOR COURSES OFFERED BY RELIGIOUS FOUNDATIONS, URBANA

(17) In June of 1971 the Board of Trustees considered a proposal, originating with the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Urbana-Champaign and approved by the Senate, to discontinue University credit for courses taught by the religious foundations. The proposal submitted to the Board was related to an earlier action by the Trustees (taken in December, 1965) to establish a program in religious studies. At the time the faculty of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences proposed the new course of study, it further recommended that as soon as the program became operational, credit no longer be given by the College for courses taught by the religious foundations. As noted in the recommendation to the Board last June, a minor in religious studies was subsequently approved by the Trustees and a director of the program appointed. Last August the Board approved a major in religious studies and on April 4, 1972, the Board of Higher Education approved the new major. In its consideration of the question of discontinuing credit for courses taught by the religious foundations, the Urbana-Champaign Senate recognized that such courses can still be offered on a noncredit basis, should the foundations desire to do so. Currently a number of foundations are offering noncredit courses with considerable success. In June, 1971, the Trustees deferred action on the recommendation, pending further study by the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Since that time, representatives from the College have held discussions with the directors of the religious foundations, seeking an accord on alternatives to University credit. They also investigated enrollment patterns in both the foundation programs and the religious studies program. Further, an arrangement has been developed in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences whereby qualified personnel in the religious foundations can be appointed as "visiting" or "adjunct" professors on the staff of the program in religious studies. In addition, a program of jointly-sponsored public lectures would add to a climate of cooperation and the sharing of common interests. (A report on the discussions, on the University "Proposal for a New Relationship Between the Program in Religious Studies and the Religious Foundations at the University," on policies in comparable institutions, the history of enrollments and other data are supplied in a memorandum from Dean Robert W. Rogers to Chancellor J. W. Peltason, a copy of which is filed with the Secretary of the Board for record.) On the- basis of the studies and consultations referred to, the Dean of the College provides the following summary statement, in which the Chancellor at Urbana-Champaign concurs: