Repository: UIHistories Project: Board of Trustees Minutes - 1948 [PAGE 129]

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1946]

UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS

127

Suitable adjustments may be made in salaries if service is required through the entire year, i.e., from September through August. ( d ) A substantial amount should be available for merit increases over and above the recommended cost-of-living increases and for the correction of inequities produced by such increases and for adjustments of salaries of administrative officers on the recommendation of the President. The annual amount requested for academic salary increases is $2,776,386, or for the biennium — $5,552,772. While nonacademic salaries and wages on the whole have been adjusted more adequately than faculty salaries in recent years, there is still need for considerable adjustment in this area. Provision also must be made for wage adjustments in prevailing rate groups to meet local wage agreements. The annual amount requested for increases in rates paid to prevailing rate groups is $282,610, or for the biennium — $565,220. The Director of Nonacademic Personnel, after a thorough survey of the situation, has recommended that funds be provided which would make possible cost-of-living adjustments for non-prevailing rate employees by July 1, 1947, averaging 25% of the salary as of July 1, 1946, subject to individual adjustment to correct inequities and to provide merit recognition. The amount requested annually for nonacademic salary increases is $1,320,690, or for the biennium — $2,641,380. 6. Improved Educational Programs. In 1945 the University made an effort to secure funds to strengthen its educational programs at many points in order to provide opportunity for better instruction and to develop research in certain fields not now adequately covered. Only a moderate part of the amount requested at that time was secured. A restudy of the whole situation has been made and a sum of $856,530 is recommended for this purpose annually, or for the biennium — $1,713,060. 7. Auxiliary Enterprises. Because the receipts from many auxiliary selfsupporting activities go into the State Treasury, it is necessary that the budget include the estimated amount of the operations of these activities for the biennium. F o r 1947-1949 these activities in the new Undergraduate Divisions at Chicago and Galesburg, such as food service and housing, must be included. These activities do not require appropriations from State tax funds since their operations are covered entirely by their own income. This income is deposited by the University in the State treasury. T h e annual appropriation necessary is $3,105,360, or for the biennium — $6,210,720. 8. General Considerations. As pointed out in connection with the 1945-1947 budget, through successive biennial periods since 1933, the University's biennial appropriations have been materially less than requested by the Board of T r u s tees. During the two periods 1943-1945 and 1945-1947, appropriations were increased but not sufficiently to take care of the backlog of accumulated and deferred needs. In the meantime, the tremendous increase in student enrollment has resulted in a vast increase in teaching load and other responsibilities. It is my judgment that we should present to the State a budget which represents what is necessary to place the University in a secure financial position and enable it to meet its responsibilities in instruction, research, and public service. The educational portion of the budget as here submitted has been reviewed by the Provost and the entire budget was submitted to and endorsed by the University Council. The schedules submitted were prepared by the Comptroller.

On motion of Mrs. Grigsby, the biennial operations budget was unanimously approved as presented, to be filed as a tentative biennial budget under the State Finance Act, and the President of the University and the President of the Board were requested to take charge of the matter from now on.