Repository: UIHistories Project: Board of Trustees Minutes - 1978 [PAGE 647]

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634

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

[May 24

He also announced that an executive session had been requested and would be convened after the meeting to consider a report on pending litigation.

RECESS AND EXECUTIVE SESSION

Following a short recess, the board reconvened in executive session and considered the following items of business:

Litigation Initiated by Michael Georgakis

(37) A complaint has been filed in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Eastern Division (Case No. 78C 1833), by Michael Georgakis, a former graduate student in chemistry at the Chicago Circle campus. In addition to the University, the named defendants include Trustees Shepherd, Velasquez, and Neal; Jan Rocek, who is dean of the Graduate College and professor of chemistry at the Chicago Circle campus; William F. Sager, who is professor of chemistry and head of the Chemistry Department; and William L. Mock, who is an associate professor of chemistry and was the faculty adviser of the plaintiff for a period of time. T h e complaint alleges that certain actions by Dean Rocek, Department Head Sager, and Professor Mock (1) with respect to plaintiff's grievances, his status as a student, his graduate study assignments, and his thesis development and evaluation; (2) with respect to the declination of Professor Mock to continue to act as plaintiff's faculty adviser; and (3) with respect to formation and composition of the committee appointed to evaluate plaintiff's thesis, all violated University rules, regulations, customs, practices, or traditions. It is alleged that these actions deprived plaintiff of his constitutional rights to due process and also deprived plaintiff of an opportunity to fairly compete for a doctoral degree. Count I of the complaint seeks money damages from all of the defendants in the amount of $150,000. Count II of the complaint further alleges that the defendants and each of them conspired to deny and deprive plaintiff of rights guaranteed him under the Constitution and laws of the United States and also seeks damages in the amount of $150,000. T h e university counsel has requested that he be authorized to take such steps as are necessary or appropriate, including the employment of special counsel, to protect the interests of the University in the matter and to provide representation for those University trustees and employees who request the same and represent that actions, if any, taken by them in connection with the matters alleged in the complaint were taken in their respective capacities as University trustees or employees. I concur.

The student advisory vote was: Aye, Miss Conlon, Mr. Overstreet, Miss Winter; no, none. On motion of Mr. Livingston, authority was given as requested by the following vote: Aye, Mr. Forsydi, Mr. Hahn, Mr. Howard, Mr. Lenz, Mr. Livingston, Mr. Neal, Mrs. Shepherd, Mr. Velasquez; no, none; absent, Mrs. Rader, Governor Thompson.

Litigation Initiated by Ellen Handler

(38) A complaint has been filed in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Illinois (Case No. 78-0069) by Ellen Handler, an assistant professor currently on terminal appointment in the School of Social Work at the