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Caption: Board of Trustees Minutes - 1968
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366 BOARD O F T R U S T E E S [January 12 not been able to do that. In these days of high competition for staff and personnel this kind of consideration is extremely important. I think we shall have to give careful consideration as a Board to the question of whether we wish to accept the State Board decisions, especially in areas where we think our position is unassailable. I am not suggesting that we attempt to override the State Board decisions, but I am going to refer the matter to the Finance Committee of this Board for study and recommendation as to what our position is to be. I think, in conclusion, that we have seen the Executive Director of the State Board of Higher Education rise to the position of being the most powerful figure in higher education in the state of Illinois. Perhaps this is inevitable in this kind of an arrangement. But, I say that when you shift power to the point that a single individual has control over higher education in the State, then that power should be exercised with extreme discretion and care and should have the checks and balances of an effective and knowledgeable board with whom that individual works. I do not by any means expect full agreement with these statements but I do expect full and fair consideration be given institutions in Board meetings, and that items of such significance to the future welfare of the Research and Education Hospitals, as an example, receive a full and fair hearing. Underlying the present problem is the question of whether the State Board should attempt to establish a total figure into which biennial expenditures must be fitted, or whether the Board should first outline the needs of the State and its systems of higher education. I have the feeling that the former has been done in an indirect way, that there has been an assumption on the part of the State Board, and probably by its chairman, that there is a certain dollar figure that should be met as far as the total budget of the State system is concerned. I believe yesterday's State Board activity was directed to keeping within such a total figure. If this is the way it is going to be, the principles should be stated openly, and the State Board should inform the institutions that this is the ground rule under which we are operating. I think that the institutions should know what kind of arrangement is being contemplated, because to do so indirectly by having the staff of the State Board in its recommendations meet such a figure can lead to serious abuses. It really is a question of dollars vs. needs and planning. I do not think you can set aside a figure before a careful analysis of needs has been made — that is, or to first say that our statewide needs are $600 million and we shall have to fit all our planning within this $600 million. I do not mean to overlook the serious problem of additional need which has been occasioned by including the junior colleges in State Board considerations, which never has been a consideration before in the State of Illinois system. We are close to a $58 million increase in the University's budget over the last biennium and it now totals approximately $272 millions. For this, we are extremely grateful, and we recognize that the Legislature has given us good cooperation and support in the past. However, I think we should pay attention to the procedures which are currently being followed and the implications they have regarding the integrity of actions of this University of Illinois Board. As I said, I have referred the matter to the Finance Committee and I assume we will have a report, possibly by the next Board meeting. FUTURE BOARD MEETINGS President Clement announced that the next three meetings of the Board are scheduled for: February 9, 1967, at Chicago Circle (the place of the meeting having been changed from the Medical Center to Chicago Circle); March 14, 1967 (annual meeting), in Urbana; April 13, 1967, at the Medical Center in Chicago. REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON BUILDINGS AND GROUNDS Mr. Pogue, for the Committee on Buildings and Grounds, presented the following report:
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