Repository: UIHistories Project: Board of Trustees Minutes - 1942 [PAGE 753]

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BOARD O F T R U S T E E S

[January 24

M r . Davis requested that the rules for preference for veterans be incorporated, and that this matter be called to the attention of the Civil Service Committee.

SUSPENSION OF SOCIAL ADMINISTRATION C U R R I C U L U M (7) On May 26, 1939 (Minutes, page 321), the Board approved a new curriculum in Social Administration providing for a four-year program of undergraduate study leading to the A.B. degree and two years of professional or graduate study leading to the degrees of Bachelor of Science in Social Administration on completion of the fifth year, and of Master of Social Administration on completion of the sixth year, to help meet the demands of local, State, and national social welfare agencies for professionally trained workers in this field. T h e Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences recommends the suspension of the professional or fifth year of this curriculum, but the retaining of an advisory service. If in the judgment of the University authorities a more elaborate and extensive program of Social Administration training should be undertaken this can be considered in the preparation of future biennial budgets. T h e small number 1 of students who have availed themselves of the training offered does not justify the expense of this curriculum, although the staff has been giving useful extramural courses to social workers in various communities. 2 T h e budget for the Social Administration curriculum for the current year is $9,770. If the professional year of this curriculum is suspended during 1942-1943 the resultant saving will amount to $5,270. T h e entire budget can not be eliminated at once because one member of the staff has a two-year contract covering the biennium of 1941-1943 (he will be assigned other teaching duties in the Department of Sociology until his contract expires), and the present salary of the professor in charge of the curriculum will be continued, although he too will be transferred to the Department of Sociology and assigned other duties. It is doubtful that the present professional curriculum can be continued on a basis which will justify the expense, since it is not accredited by recognized agencies as a School of Social Administration, and consequently students hesitate to enter such professional training because they are not sure of receiving professional recognition or of having their credits recognized elsewhere in the event of transferring to other institutions. It is the judgment of the Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and the Executive Committee of that College that the University should either abandon its present inadequate program or undertake a new program of Social Service Training as part of the major program of "Public Administration Training." There will be a growing demand for extensive training for public service positions. One of the agencies greatly interested in the establishment of the Social Service curriculum is the Department of Public Welfare, since it is greatly in need of professionally trained workers. The Director of Public Welfare was advised of the present status of the curriculum and that consideration was being given to discontinuing it. H e has expressed the view that it may be necessary to adopt a more conservative attitude for the present in the hope that ultimately when practicable the University will re-establish this curriculum on a more satisfactory and permanent basis.

*In 1939-1940 when the professional curriculum was first offered, there were three fulltime and two part-time students enrolled. The following year five full-time, 25 part-time, and three listeners were enrolled. This year there are one full-time student, 13 part-time students, and three listeners enrolled. Five persons have received the degTee of Bachelor of Social Administration; only one is in social work, two are married, and two are doing other work. a In 1939-1940 the staff gave instruction through extension courses in Springfield to 18 students, 1 visitor; in Peoria, 18 students, 7 visitors; and in Centralia, 35 students, 1 visitor. In 1940-1941 two courses were given in Springfield, one enrolling 14 students and 1 visitor, and the other 21 students. This year courses are being given in Mattoon to 13 students, 2 visitors; in Peoria, 11 students, 9 visitors; and in Galesburg, 13 students, 1 visitor.