Repository: UIHistories Project: Board of Trustees Minutes - 1948 [PAGE 1100]

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1948]

U N I V E R S I T Y OF I L L I N O I S

I099

be affected by "politics." All concerned have expressed confidence in the present Superintendent of Public Instruction, but they may not feel that his office can continue to be as objective and fair-minded as the visitors going out from the University. However, we have no evidence of differences in the approach of the professional workers as between Springfield and Urbana; visitors from either office sometimes temper their recommendations, not with politics, but with expediency. It is evident that the original agreement called for a meeting of minds between the two groups with respect to methods of inspection, standards, reports, and decisions. On May 1st the history of this enterprise and the arguments for and against the present plan were reviewed in my office. Following this meeting Mr. Vernon L. Nickell, Superintendent of Public Instruction, concurred in the proposal to dissolve the agreement, returning the High School Visitor's Office entirely to the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction. With respect to the staff members involved who have academic tenure, we shall make arrangements to continue their services in the University, unless they are offered positions on the staff of the Superintendent of Public Instruction and desire to transfer. Appropriate changes can be made now in the internal budget of the University while a permanent adjustment can be made in the budget of the new biennium. Accordingly, I recommend that the High School Visitor's Office in the University be abolished as of September 1, 1948, and that the agreement of March 26, 1923, be dissolved.

President Stoddard and Mr. Nickell commented on this matter. On motion of Mr. Williamson, these recommendations were adopted. Mr. Nickell asked to be recorded as "present and not voting."

ACADEMIC CALENDAR, 1 9 4 8 - 1 9 4 9 (2) At the meeting of the Board of Trustees on January 8, 1948 (Minutes, pages 966-68), I presented the University's calendar for the departments at Urbana-Champaign, Chicago Undergraduate Division, and the Galesburg Undergraduate Division for the academic year 1948-1949. The University Senate has approved the following changes to provide more time between the first and second semesters, this being applicable only to the departments at Urbana-Champaign: Present Date Proposed Date Item Feb. 1, Tues. Feb. 6, Sun. Baccalaureate and Commencement Exercises. Feb. 2, Wed.— Feb. 4, Fri.— Registration of graduates and underFeb. 5, Sat. Feb. 8, Tues. graduates. Feb. 7, Mon. Feb. 9, Wed. Instruction begins. May 25, Wed.— May 26, Thurs.— Semester examinations. June 3, Fri. June 4, Sat.

On motion of Mr. Davis, these changes were approved.

SERVICES OF PROFESSOR H. C. M. CASE TO UNITED STATES SENATE (3) As a matter of official record, I wish to report that Professor H. C. M. Case, Head of the Department of Agricultural Economics, has been given leave of absence without pay from April 16, 1948, and continuing until further notice, so that he may serve as consultant to the United States Senate Subcommittee on Appropriations for Agriculture. H e was given a leave of absence without pay for similar service from May 12 to July 12, 1947. Professor L. J. Norton has been designated as Acting Head of the Department to serve during Professor Case's absence.

On motion of Mr. McLaughlin, this report was received for record.

SERVICES OF DEAN JOHN B. Y O U M A N S TO THE DEPARTMENT OF THE A R M Y

(4) The Department of the Army is sending a mission of experts to Europe to make a nutritional survey of the people in the Bizonal Areas and has requested the services of Dean John B. Youmans on this mission. This will require his