Repository: UIHistories Project: Board of Trustees Minutes - 1970 [PAGE 765]

EXTRACTED TEXT FROM PAGE:

1970]

UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS

765

For some time the Committee has been considering, and will continue to consider, the general charge before i t : to study ways and means of improving communication between the Board of Trustees and the several constituencies of the University. At its meeting of January 20, 1970, the Committee focussed its attention upon communication with students and, without prejudice to proposals that may be presented later, approved the following recommendation: That the Board of Trustees establish an ad hoc committee of student observers, who would be invited to attend meetings of the Board of Trustees and its committees during the period February-June, 1970. It would be the purpose of the committee to become acquainted with the perspective and operation of the Board. In addition, the members would be expected to respond to inquiries the Trustees might direct to them as the Board considers the business before it. (The committee would be supplied, in advance of each meeting, with the preliminary list of agenda items regularly prepared by the Secretary.) The committee would be selected as the students at each campus may determine after consultation with the Chancellors and would be drawn from the three campuses as follows: one graduate and two undergraduate students from each of the campuses at Urbana and Chicago Circle; two students from the Medical Center campus — for a total committee of eight students. Upon completion of their period of orientation and review, the committee would be expected to make suggestions on the general subject of communication between students and the Board of Trustees and to submit a written report to the Committee on General Policy. In accord with regular procedures, the report would be submitted at each campus through the Chancellors, then through the President of the University to the Committee on General Policy. T h e Committee would expect to receive the report in time for consideration at its June, 1970, meeting. Travel expenses incurred in attending meetings of the Trustees, or in attending meetings of the ad hoc committee, will be reimbursed by the University. The Committee on General Policy wishes to emphasize that this recommendation is supplementary to the request it has made of the University Senates Conference for advice on a request for the establishment of a Student Advisory Committee to the Board of Trustees. T h e Committee will wish to receive this advice in due course and will ask the ad hoc committee of students to react to it in their report. It is the Committee's expectation that, having received the suggestions and advice indicated, as well as that of the administration of the University and others, it will be in a position to make a final report and recommendations to the Board of Trustees. The recommendation was moved by Mr. Jones and approved unanimously. Members of the Committee on General Policy HOWARD W . Clement, Chairman

DONALD R. GRIMES RALPH C. H A H N THEODORE A. JONES Absent: TIMOTHY W. S W A I N

EARL W. PORTER, Clerk

During the discussion the meeting was interrupted again when three spectators, apparently members of the student group, sought recognition by the chair. Mr. Hughes again called for order and attempted to explain the Board's procedures for recognition. When the disruption continued, he asked that the three individuals be escorted from the room. Mr. Jones stated that the members of the ad hoc student committee should be selected as persons broadly representative of the student body. He recommended that the notice of purpose of the committee be widely circulated among the students. President Henry indicated that if the committee were established it was his intention to take the initiative to convene a meeting for organization of the committee as quickly