Caption: Board of Trustees Minutes - 1976
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610 BOARD OF TRUSTEES [May 19 MINUTES APPROVED The Secretary presented for approval the press proofs of the minutes of the Board of Trustees meeting of January 21, 1976, copies of which had previously been sent to the Board. On motion of Mr. Forsyth, these minutes were approved as printed on pages 485 to 514 inclusive. BUSINESS PRESENTED BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNIVERSITY President's Reports P r e s i d e n t C o r b a l l y p r e s e n t e d a r e p o r t o n selected t o p i c s of c u r r e n t i n t e r e s t , copies of w h i c h w e r e d i s t r i b u t e d a t t h e m e e t i n g , a n d a copy w a s filed w i t h t h e S e c r e t a r y of t h e B o a r d . Recommendations Concerning Student Health Insurance Rates President Corbally announced that recommendations concerning student health insurance fees for all campuses are in the process of being developed and, in all likelihood, will be presented at the June meeting of the Board of Trustees. Report Concerning the State Appropriations for 1976-77 The President presented the following statement: It is an interesting commentary upon the current financing of public higher education in Illinois that an action by the Senate Appropriations Committee last Friday to approve appropriations bills for higher education for fiscal year (FY) 1977 in a total amount some $35 million less than the amount supported by the institutions and by the Illinois Board of Higher Education (IBHE) is hailed as at least a minor victory by those institutions. A headline in a Champaign-Urbana newspaper even described this action with the words, "Panel Raises Education Outlay." T h e fact, of course, is that these appropriations bills as amended by the Appropriations Committee total about $20 million more than had been recommended for higher education by Governor Walker and the rumor mills persisted in reporting that it was this lower level which would prevail in the General Assembly. There is still a long road for these appropriations bills to travel, and our efforts to sustain at least the level of funding recommended by the Senate Appropriations Committee must continue unabated. I want to comment upon two general aspects of the Senate Appropriations Gommittee meeting last Friday. First, several members — Senator Hynes, Senator Weaver, Senator Buzbee, Senator Vadalabene, and Senator Rock — spoke on behalf of the legitimacy of the requests supported by the institutions and by the IBHE. Each of these senators indicated that it was only the serious financial condition of Illinois which made it impossible for him to support the funding of these legitimate requests. All of us in higher education appreciated their comments and their support even though some of us believe that Illinois does have the resources to maintain its traditional excellence in higher education if only minor increases in revenue programs were to be adopted. Others on the committee, however, continued what I believe to be outworn and unfair attacks upon higher education and particularly upon faculty: and administrative costs. Time and time again our studies have shown that faculty members average more than fifty hours per week of effort on behalf of their responsibilities.
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