UC.03.02
December 9, 2002

University Senates Conference
October 25, 2002

University Senates Conference (USC) met in Springfield at the Public Affairs Center with President Stukel and Vice President Gardner in the morning and UIS Provost Michael Cheney in the afternoon. A business meeting of USC followed these sessions.

The meeting with President Stukel and Vice President Gardner included discussion of the following topics:

- Budget issues affecting the University, including a salary program for FY04 as an unavoidable expense
- Deferred maintenance issues, and a forthcoming facilities condition report
- Outreach to the public by President Stukel through community visits
- Allocation of budget cuts to units, using more judgment and less of an across-the-board percentage cut
- Status of the Tuition Planning Group's work and related financial aid issues to insure that students have sufficient access to higher education
- Status of a review of the Institute of Government and Public Affairs in terms of its future direction and availability of expert assistance to the University administration and government leaders

The meeting with Provost Cheney covered the following topics:

- Issues related to working within a system rather than a stand-alone campus
- Capitol Scholars program at UIS and the need for more residential housing before expanding the program significantly

The business meeting included the following:
- Approval of the September 24, 2002 minutes.
- ST-57. Statutes revision for Professional Advisory Committee. The proposal to allow each campus to separately name its professional advisory group is being discussed in campus senates.
- OT-192. UI-Integrate Committee and Faculty Advisory Committee. Robert Fossum was nominated to serve as the USC representative on the UI-Integrate Faculty Advisory Committee.
- OT-193. Interim Information Security Policy. A policy regarding information security is being distributed by university administration to the senates for review. In addition, USC is requesting that a representative from USC be appointed to the University Technology Management Team to address issues of security and privacy.
- ST-47. Multi-Year Contracts for full-time non-tenured faculty. Work on this document continues, with an emphasis on the needs of each campus (clinical staff, academic professionals, and so on).
- Discussion of future guests to invite to address University issues of concern.
- Selection of chairs for USC subcommittees.

Dates and locations of future meetings were discussed, as were routine items of business.

Nancy P. O'Brien
USC Representative to UIUC Senate Executive Committee
(Information supplied by Connie Sailor, USC Secretary)