Repository: UIHistories Project: Board of Trustees Minutes - 1954 [PAGE 525]

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522

BOARD OF TEUSTEES

[ J a n u a r y 21

University Income Fund. This item is not subject to reduction, since it is based on the best estimate that can be made of the increase in these activities. Capital Budget The Board of Trustees is well aware that the University has a large backlog of building needs. The report of the Building Program Committee lists fifty needed buildings at Urbana-Champaign and fourteen at the Chicago Professional Colleges, exclusive of any buildings for a new University of Illinois at Chicago. Obviously University authorities do not expect to secure in one biennium, or even in several biennial periods, the appropriations needed to provide for the entire building program. A selection of projects for each biennium, in terms of relative priorities, is necessary. The building program proposed for 1953-1955 would meet only a part of the total building needs. For i g S S - ^ S , the University Building Program Committee recommended nineteen building projects at UrbanaChampaign, total estimated cost, $30,054,000, and four at the Chicago Professional Colleges, total estimated cost, $4,925,000. The Board of Trustees has approved a program of $20,590,500 for Urbana-Champaign and of $1,985,000 for the Chicago Professional Colleges — a total of $22,575,500. This is a reduction of $12,404,000 in the original request of the Building Program Committee. The projects have been fully explained to the Board and your Committee does not feel it is necessary in its report to elaborate on them. Nor does your Committee feel it should indicate any selection of projects at this time. The ultimate decision should be deferred until the General Assembly, with the advice of the Illinois Budgetary Commission and the appropriation committees of the General Assembly, and the Governor decide how much the state can and should appropriate to the University of Illinois for buildings. The other institutions of higher education in Illinois also need new buildings. They undoubtedly face the same problems with respect to selection of projects as the University of Illinois. Your Committee feels that consideration should be given by appropriate state officials to the enactment of legislation which will permit financing the construction of new buildings for all its institutions of higher education to supplement current state appropriations. In this way more buildings could be provided in the immediate future than is possible by relying solely on biennial appropriations. Several states have adopted such plans to meet more fully the building needs of their institutions through deferred payments. Through services of its experts in the fields of government, constitutional law, and public finance, the University is prepared to assist in the development of a building authority plan, but clearly the policy decision must be made by state authorities. Conclusion and Recommendation One of the functions of the Board of Trustees is to help secure the revenues needed by the University and to determine ways in which University funds shall be applied. When the Board has determined how much money is required during any given biennial period for the operation of the University so that it is able to serve effectively the people of Illinois, then the Board should make the clearest representations possible to the General Assembly and the Governor in support of the budget. Your Committee is convinced that the budget for 1953-1955, as approved by the Board of Trustees on October 24, 1952, is a well prepared and necessary budget. The Committee recommends the confirmation of the Board's previous action with respect to the appropriations requested. In this way we shall have done our best to secure for the young people of Illinois a standard of higher education worthy of a great and progressive state. Respectfully submitted,

ROBERT Z. HICKMAN HERBERT B. MEGHAN W A Y N E A. JOHNSTON, Chairman

Committee on General Policy

Mr. Fornof stated that the Board is indebted to the Committee for its intensive and thorough review of the budget. Other members of the Board expressed concurrence in this statement. Mr. Megran stated that as the result of the Committee's conference with the President, the University Council, and other officials he was