Repository: UIHistories Project: Board of Trustees Minutes - 1946 [PAGE 417]

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414

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

[ M a r c h 13

vote: Aye, Mr. Fornof, Mr. Livingston, Mr. McKelvey, Mr. McLaughlin, Dr. Meyer, Mr. Williamson; no, none; absent, Mr. Davis, Mr. Green, Mrs. Grigsby, Dr. Luken, Mr. Nickell.

RETIREMENT O F PROFESSOR ERNEST BERNBAUM

(13) Professor Ernest Bernbaum of the Department of English has requested that he be retired from active service on September I, 1945, under the provision in the law creating the University Retirement System of Illinois which permits retirement "on or after the attainment of age sixty-five (65) in exceptional cases and for substantial cause at the request of the Employee and upon certification of the Employer." Professor Bernbaum is 66 years old and at the end of the current academic year will have been in the service of the University continuously for twenty-nine years. I recommend approval and that Professor Bernbaum be retired September 1, 1945, with the rank of Professor Emeritus.

On motion of Dr. Meyer, these recommendations were adopted.

UNIVERSITY CIVIL SERVICE COMMITTEE A N D EMPLOYEE COUNCILS

University Civil Service Committee (14) On October 21, 1941 (Minutes, page 672), the Board of Trustees appointed a "University Civil Service Committee," selected from members of the University staff, to assist the Board in the administration of the University Civil Service System created by an Act of the 62nd General Assembly. On July 18, 1944 (Minutes, page 16), the Board created a new administrative position, "Director of Nonacademic Personnel," and specified that the duties of this position would include the supervision of the University Civil Service System under policies to be established by the Board of Trustees. Since this new position has now been filled, I recommend that the University Civil Service Committee be discontinued and all of its functions transferred to the Director of Nonacademic Personnel. Employee Councils On July 25, 1942 (Minutes, page 32), the Board of Trustees approved the establishment of Employee Councils, one at Urbana and one at Chicago, to promote mutual understanding and cooperation among the several groups of civil service employees of the University and between such employees and administrative officers, to provide a medium for the exchange of information relating to problems of civil service employees and those of administrators, and to give civil service employees a voice in the framing of policies relating to compensation and working conditions. Under the plan approved by the Board the Councils were elected by civil service employees. Since the whole program of personnel has now been placed in the hands of the Director of Nonacademic Personnel, I recommend that the University's sponsorship of the Employee Councils be discontinued and that the continuation of these Councils be a matter to be decided entirely by the employees.

The Comptroller presented this matter. On motion of Mr. McKelvey, these recommendations were approved and adopted.

LEAVES OF ABSENCE FOR PROFESSORS B. W . FAIRBANKS AND H. H. ALP

(15) At the meeting of the Board on February 24, I presented requests from Professor B. W. Fairbanks and Associate Professor H. H. Alp of the Department of Animal Husbandry for leaves without pay to serve on the staffs of the American Dry Milk Institute, Inc., and the Poultry and Egg National Board, respectively. Professor Fairbanks has resigned from the University, effective May IS. 194s, to accept the position with the American Dry Milk Institute.