Repository: UIHistories Project: Board of Trustees Minutes - 1978 [PAGE 162]

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1976]

UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS

151

(b) T h a t , subject to a failure to restore funds for salary increases by the General Assembly, the operating budget request for FY 1978 be amended to support salary increases averaging 10 percent, plus an additional 2 percent for open-range employees. 1 T h e student advisory vote was: Aye, Mr. Gonlon, Mr. Matthews, Mr. Volgman; no, none. O n motion of Mr. Livingston, this recommendation was approved by the following vote: Aye, Mr. Forsyth, Mr. H a h n , Mr. Howard, Mr. Lenz, Mr. Livingston, Mr. Neal, Mrs. Rader, Mrs. Shepherd, Mr. Velasquez; no, none; absent, Governor Walker. (c) T h a t the President be authorized to seek a supplemental appropriation for FY 1977 for the University Hospital, u p to an amount not to exceed $3,000,000 — such effort to be taken after all internal means of obtaining a solution have been taken. T h e student advisory vote was: Aye, Mr. Conlon, Mr. Matthews, Mr. Volgman; no, none. O n motion of Mr. Livingston, this recommendation was approved by the following vote: Aye, Mr. Forsyth, Mr. Hahn, Mr. Howard, Mr. Lenz, Mr. Livingston, Mr. Neal, Mrs. Rader, Mrs. Shepherd, Mr. Velasquez; no, none; absent, Governor Walker. With regard to the President's request for Board discussion and advice concerning a midyear tuition increase: I t was made clear that no specific administrative recommendation was being presented to the Board, rather that the Governor-elect had indicated recently the possibility of supplemental appropriations. One University response would be to approve a midyear tuition increase if the salary restoration effort were not successful. In the course of general discussion, it was noted that a number, perhaps a majority, of the Board have indicated informally their reluctance to increase tuition at this time. It was further pointed out that there is uncertainty as to the likelihood of legislative action to appropriate funds through the income fund if such a tuition increase were approved and collected. I t was further noted that there would be an opportunity to consider tuition in a more deliberate way in January or February, for imposition at a later date. It was also made clear that not all Trustees are reluctant to increase tuition, but that some believe such a step to be inevitable and justified and one that could be taken without apology in the light of continued cost increases over the last several years in all areas of the economy. Finally, by consensus it was agreed that it would not be timely to increase tuition at midyear, but rather that the Board would receive background information in January with regard to a tuition increase at a later date, with the possibility that a recommendation would be before the Board a t the February meeting.

1 Subsequent action by the legislature, on December 15, was to restore funds sufficient to support an additional 2 percent salary increase for the balance of FY 1977. Accordingly, the second Trustee action, (b) above, will not be implemented.