Repository: UIHistories Project: Board of Trustees Minutes - 1974 Version B [PAGE 325]

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1973]

UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS

317

7. Adjustments in refunds and matching loan funds due to enrollment increases 299 000 Subtotal $17 154 778 8. Less increases to be supported by internal savings and reallocations 4 399 200 Total $12 7SS 578 This increase represented a 6.8 per cent increase over 1972-73, after two years in which the University of Illinois has received virtually no increase in support from State tax funds. This increase provided no funds in support of enrollment increases at the University (estimated to be about 5 per cent), only about onehalf of funds to meet known price increases, less than half of the funds needed to support new programs at Chicago Circle and Urbana-Champaign, and no funds to restore our replacement of equipment to an acceptable level. Governor Walker has now reduced these figures. In summary, he has eliminated $3,690,000 in personal services and $400,000 in support of the Division of Services to Crippled Children. In addition, he has eliminated $24.5 million in support of facilities and $12.2 million in support of the Universities Retirement System. The net effect of Governor Walker's actions on the appropriations in support of the operations of the University (exclusive of facilities and retirement contributions) is to continue the decline in per-student tax support of the University in constant tax dollars — a decline which will now be 17 per cent during the past three years, exclusive of medical expansion programs. In announcing his action, Governor Walker cited enrollment decreases — a problem which does not exist and has not existed at the University of Illinois. It is implied that the recommendations are IBHE recommendations when, in fact, the IBHE has consistently and strongly endorsed its original recommendations. He has not — either in his original budget message nor in his budget reduction message — described the financial stringencies faced by higher education during the past three years nor mentioned the well-documented impact of these stringencies upon the quality of higher education in Illinois. It was stated that the approved appropriations are a "key_ factor in helping to hold the line on tuition increases" when in fact this action virtually guarantees that tuition increases for 1974-75 will be necessary and will need to be larger than would be required if higher education had been provided a fair share of the economic growth of Illinois. There appears to be a feeling that the people of Illinois are disinterested in this decline in quality and have lost their enthusiasm for a system of higher education which has long been the envy of people in other states. We shall continue to struggle to maintain the quality of the University of Illinois. We hope that the General Assembly will reaffirm its earlier, careful, and responsible support of higher education and will not find the erosion of a remarkable system of higher education to represent desirable public policy.

On motion of Mr. Hahn, the Board endorsed this report.

Scope and Mission President Corbally reported on the scope and mission of the University and the basic planning assumptions for its campuses. He stated that he expected there would be further discussion of this subject at the September Board meeting and that the final document would be ready for action by the Board in January.

BOARD O F TRUSTEES " D I S T I N G U I S H E D SERVICE M E D A L L I O N "

Mr. Hughes presented the following proposal:

The Board of Trustees hereby establishes an award, to be known as the Trustees' Distinguished Service Medallion. To be conferred by the Board itself, the award is created to recognize those individuals whose contributions to the growth and development of the University of Illinois, through significant benefaction or extraordinary service, have been of unusual distinction.