Repository: UIHistories Project: Board of Trustees Minutes - 1970 [PAGE 63]

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1968]

UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS

63

the general biology laboratory on campus, at Parkland Junior College, at Mercy Hospital, and at the Washington Elementary School in Champaign. On the basis of the pioneering development of the P L A T O system — now believed to be the most flexible and powerful computer-assisted instructional system in the country — the Laboratory is in position to undertake a large-scale program of research and development on the mass utilization of this system in a variety of settings. T h e P L A T O I V system will be capable of serving some 4,000 student terminals, which might be used by as many as 16,000 students for their basic and supplementary instruction in a major part of their educational curricula. It is estimated that the equipment needed for the program (including the cost of a large-scale computer such as the CDC 7600 or the I B M 360/85 system) would cost some $3,540,000. Most of these funds would be sought from outside sources, but the present request includes an item of $600,000 (nonrecurring) to be used towards the equipment cost. The recurring part of the budget request ($250,000 for each year of the coming biennium) would provide the salaries for 20.0 F T K academic staff members (curriculum developers and evaluators) who would work with participating faculty members in several academic departments. 2. University-Community Development Program in Elementary Education ($200,000). This project would serve two main purposes: (a) provide the College of Education at the Urbana-Champaign campus with an elementary-level laboratory school for teacher-education purposes, for curricular experimentation, and for research on educational processes by behavioral scientists; (b) provide an opportunity for studying the educational needs of disadvantaged students and the problems involved in racial integration in a public school. Washington School in Champaign is part of the Unit 4 School District, and agreement has been reached with school authorities for a cooperative program with the University of Illinois. During 1968-69, a pilot research program will be conducted, and additional federal funds have been sought for support during the current year. The purpose of the present budget request is to provide salaries for the staff needed to implement the affiliation relationships, including curriculum coordinators and developers and the director of a "Basic Skills Center" to be established for children from "disadvantaged" neighborhoods. The total budget of $100,000 per year would provide salaries for 9.0 F T E staff members, including 3.0 F T E graduate assistants. 3. Human Resources and Manpower ($179/00). This program would be conducted by the Institute of Labor and Industrial Relations at the Urbana-Champaign campus, with the cooperation of faculty members both at that campus and at the Chicago Circle campus. The main focus of its activities would be in Chicago and the headquarters of the project would be located there. In its initial stages, the program would concentrate on employment, including the changing array of job opportunities, the nature and adequacy of the labor supply, and the institutional arrangements available or needed to match the job opportunities to the labor force and to maximize the use of individual talents. In addition to more conventional economic analysis in "labor-market" terms, the program would investigate the psychological, sociological, and political problems associated with race, poverty, and employment. Attention would be given also to pre-employment activities and conditions: education, training, motivation, job information, job seeking, and discrimination. The funds requested would provide salaries for the director, 3.0 F T E professional staff members, 2.0 F T E nonacademic staff members, expenses, and equipment. 4. Coordinated Program in Soybean Research ($200,000). Illinois is the nation's leading state in soybean production. The crop contributes nearly one-half billion dollars annually to the farm income of the state and is the basic ingredient of a multimillion dollar processing industry and of a substantial volume of international trade. The future strength of this important segment of the state's economy depends upon the capacity to maintain and improve its competitiveness with other sources of oil and protein. The purpose of the present request is to provide funds for a continuing program of research and development designed to keep Illinois in the forefront of soybean production and food technology. More specifically, the research program would seek information useful in: (a) increasing yields, improving seed quality, and reducing losses due to weeds, insects, and diseases; and (b) the development of improved methods of handling, marketing,