Repository: UIHistories Project: Board of Trustees Minutes - 1970 [PAGE 932]

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932

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

[June 17

BUSINESS PRESENTED BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNIVERSITY The Board considered the, following reports and recommendations from the President of the University.

PRESIDENT'S REPORT

President Henry 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.

ILLINOIS EQUAL OPPORTUNITY LAW F E L L O W S H I P PROGRAM

President Henry called attention to the Illinois Equal Opportunity Law Fellowship Program which will enable disadvantaged students to study law at the University of Illinois under the plan developed in cooperation with Trustee Stone. 1 Banks in Chicago and Urbana-Champaign are collaborating with the W . Clement and Jesse V. Stone Foundation of Chicago in providing funding and loans for the program which will begin in September, 1970. The Foundation will provide up to $500,000 for the program, while the participating banks will arrange for approximately $1,000,000 in federally guaranteed student loans.

PROPOSAL FOR FALL ELECTION RECESS

(1) President Henry presented a proposal of the Urbana-Champaign Senate that the academic calendar at Urbana be modified in the fall of 1970 to provide "an election recess" of seven and one-half calendar days. The Undergraduate Student Association had asked to make a presentation on this subject on an emergency basis and Mr. Hughes recognized Miss Cathy Morrison who spoke briefly in support of the Senate proposal. Chancellor Peltason presented a statement outlining the arguments for and against the proposal and Professor Marion Benfield, Chairman of the Senate Committee on the Academic Calendar, spoke in support of the recess and answered questions during the course of the discussion. President Henry then presented a memorandum in which he analyzed the proposal and recommended that the Board of Trustees not approve it. (The memoranda from the President and Chancellor and an excerpt from the minutes of the Urbana-Champaign Senate pertaining to this proposal are presented below.) During the discussion, the Board approved a request to address the Board from a member of the Ad Hoc Committee of Student Observers, Mr. John Adler. Mr. Adler spoke in support of the proposal and to the points raised by the President in his statement. On motion of Mr. Swain, the Trustees approved the recommendation of the President — that the proposal not be approved. June 17, 1970

To THE MEMBERS OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES :

I bring to your attention, with the knowledge of the University Senates' Conference, an action of the Urbana-Champaign Faculty Senate which proposes an "election recess" from October 28, 1970, to November 4, 1970. A statement from Chancellor J. W. Peltason is attached. Over the years, through courses in political science and government, through sponsorship of the Citizenship Clearing House, the legislative internship program and in other ways, faculty members, officers, and departments of the University have stressed the importance of broad citizen participation in the affairs of government, including the election process. Many faculty members have served local, state, and national government agencies as advisers and some have stood for election. It is a natural and timely corollary of this historic position that in a period »See minutes, Board Meeting of December 17, 1969, page 729.