Repository: UIHistories Project: Board of Trustees Minutes - 1976 [PAGE 460]

EXTRACTED TEXT FROM PAGE:

1975]

UNIVERSITY OF IL1JNOIS

449

University of Illinois Response To: "A Master Plan for Postsecondary Education in Illinois"

(A Draft Submitted by the Staff of the Board of Higher Education) (1) President Corbally summarized the current status of this subject, in particular, by reference to administrative documents prepared and sent to the Trustees and to the Board of Higher Education in advance of the meeting. These constituted a report: "Comments on IBHE Draft of a Master Plan for Postsecondary Education in Illinois," containing in particular a "President's and Chancellors' Overview," as well as administrative comment on specific recommendations in the Master Plan, Phase IV ( M P I V ) , draft. In addition, a compendium of comment by deans, directors, committees, and faculties of the University had been prepared, sent to the Trustees, and provided the staff of the Board of Higher Education. The President further reported that a second draft of M P IV had been prepared and that he had had an opportunity to receive information about it on an informal basis from the Executive Director of the Board of Higher Education. T h e new draft document will be sent to the members of the Board of Higher Education within the next few days and therefore has not been available in advance of its receipt by the members of that Board. However, President Corbally indicated his understanding that a number of concerns earlier expressed by the University and others have been carefully considered and that the staff has been open and cooperative in attempting to resolve areas of disagreement with particular reference to making changes in emphasis and content. Inasmuch as there will be an opportunity to consider the new draft, the President expressed his view that it would be unwise for the Board to consider item by item the recommendations of the initial draft as some of them may be changed. He stated that there will remain issues of significance to the University and that the Board may wish at this time to address itself to a few broad areas on which there is a continuing concern. President Neal invited the Trustees to express their views on any aspect of the Plan as initially drafted, bearing in mind the comments of President Corbally. In the discussion, a number of matters were identified for emphasis. Specifically, these related to the need for a more definitive statement concerning legal education at the Chicago Circle campus; the tuition issue and general opposition among the Trustees to the tuition formula advanced in the Plan; greater emphasis upon adult education and the extended day program at Chicago Circle; and general concern that there should be a broad understanding of the separation between coordination and governance, with particular emphasis upon the quality of higher education and the merits of justifiable duplication and competition. Finally, there were expressions of strong concern about the "program review" procedure identified in the initial draft (as recommendation number 63) which, the Trustees felt, constituted a potential intrusion into governance and administration; related to difficulties of staff competence in the Board of Higher Education; and was potentially a costly and unnecessary duplication of effort. The latter point made specific reference to the array of internal and external professional reviews of university programs that presently exist. Upon conclusion of discussion, Mr. Howard was asked to summarize and develop a draft statement. This was then reviewed by the Board and, on Mr. Howard's motion, adopted as the present University of Illinois response to the initial draft of M P IV. T h e statement is as follows: T h e members of T h e Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois have now had an opportunity to review with care the first draft of Master Plan, Phase IV, prepared by the staff of the Board of Higher Education. The Board has been informed by President Corbally that a second draft of Master Plan, Phase IV, will soon be distributed by the staff of the Board