Repository: UIHistories Project: Board of Trustees Minutes - 1976 [PAGE 527]

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516

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

indicated that it would be of special interest to the Trustees to receive from Chancellor Riddle an overall review of this subject, in the light of his first few weeks of service at Chicago Circle. Chancellor Riddle presented the following summary of his impressions of areas of consensus at the campus as follows:

T h e extended day concept is critical to the development of the campus, and there is a high degree of staff consensus that it is the single most important programmatic element. There is also considerable agreement that graduate programs in business must be developed, as must graduate programs in education, where Latin American and Polish bilingual/bicultural programs must be given emphasis. There is the possibility of a merger of the College of Architecture and Art and the College of Urban Sciences, with the aim of strengthening both. T h e campus should be a center for research and thinking on urban problems, and this combined unit would aid this development. While the Board of Trustees' stance is plain as to a law school for the campus, the matter should not be allowed to rest. The future of graduate work, generally, at Chicago Circle must be given serious attention. Since a large proportion of graduate students at this campus are persons with full-time jobs, many of whom do not come direct from completion of their baccalaureate degrees, new approaches to graduate work must be considered. In order to fulfill the legitimate desire of good academic departments and faculty to offer graduate work, cooperative programs with the Urbana campus and new interdisciplinary programs should be studied. As for facilities, the library is the primary need. It is not now adequate to support the campus mission. In addition to increased funding, new leadership must now be sought. Here, again, more effective cooperative arrangements with the Urbana campus are indicated. At present, the campus lacks a center of focus for students and staff. Possibly, this could be provided in present facilities. Some needs exist for athletic facilities. (Existing facilities are shared with the surrounding community.) Outdoor fields are now needed; later, another indoor facility will be required. Finally, there is a need for a form of housing for graduate students and young staff who must work late in buildings on projects which cannot be taken home. Some form of "hostel" might be considered. T h e general aim of most of these suggestions is to make the campus a fulltime facility, geared to the life of the city, but providing its own unique contribution.

In the course of general discussion, it was pointed out that these are continuing items of concern at Chicago Circle and have been for some time; that some of the Trustees would be interested in more intensive review of certain topics; and it was emphasized that there is interest in the Trustees being kept up to date on their status. Accordingly, it was agreed that, at the next meeting of the General Policy Committee, selected topics from those included in Chancellor Riddle's summary would be examined in some depth. In all likelihood, there will be other meetings devoted to the same objective. There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned.

EARL W. PORTER

EARL L. NEAL

Secretary

President