Repository: UIHistories Project: Board of Trustees Minutes - 1978 [PAGE 360]

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1977]

UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS

349

Establishment of a Program on Ancient Technologies and Archaeological Materials, Graduate College, Urbana

(22) The Graduate College at the Urbana-Champaign campus has recommended to the chancellor that a special unit of the college be established, to be known as the Program on Ancient Technologies and Archaeological Materials. The program is an interdisciplinary effort between the Department of Ceramic Engineering and the faculty from the departments of Anthropology, the Classics, Geology, and History, the Illinois Geological Survey, the Materials Research Laboratory, the Nuclear Engineering Program, and the World Heritage Museum. It has evolved from a working group formed for collaboration on the application of methods of "materials characterization" to archaeological problems. 1 The Urbana faculty constitutes a strong group in field archaeology. Current interests are in the classification and interpretation of artifacts discovered in Illinois, Mexico, South America, Greece, and Sicily. T o further these investigations, there is need for additional effort in the use of modern methods of materials characterization. The objectives of the proposed program are: 1. T o promote analytical research into ancient technologies, both primitive and complex, by humanists and physical and social scientists; 2. T o initiate and develop new research areas in the application of physical analytical methods for the definition and characterization of archaeological remains and museum specimens; 3. T o supplement existing departmental research facilities for faculty, graduate students, and advanced undergraduate students engaged in the study of the technological aspects of human societies; 4. T o sponsor continuing faculty and graduate student research seminars into the relationships of technology and other aspects of human society; and 5. T o sponsor colloquia and symposia devoted to exploring and defining various problems of the impact of technological change on society. The program would be directed by a steering committee composed of representatives from the principal units involved. The committee will be appointed by the dean of the Graduate College after consultation with and approval of the heads of the units involved. An executive committee, composed of heads of units involved in the program, also will be appointed by the dean after consultation with the deans of the colleges involved. T h e executive committee will provide for administrative overview of the program and liaison with other officers of the University. The program will not require state funds or additional space. Funds for support will be sought from nonstate sources. The chancellor and the vice president for academic affairs concur in this recommendation. I recommend approval.

On motion of Mr. Hahn, this recommendation was approved. Waiver of Transcript Fee, Medical Center

(23) Based upon a review of the current transcript processing procedures, the Medical Center campus has requested approval to waive the $1 transcript fee charged to students and alumni. T h e cost of staff time involved in processing payment forms and subsequent review by the Internal Auditing Division exceeds the approximately $2,000 col1 "Methoda of materials characterization" refers to determining, by sophisticated scientific analysis, the structural, electronic, and chemical make-up of archaeological artifacts.