UC.07.08
October 1, 2007

UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS
URBANA-CHAMPAIGN SENATE

University Senates Conference
(Final; Information)

UC.07.08 Report on the University Senates Conference Meeting, 24 April 2007

Members present: Bodenhorn (Chair), Burton, Chapman-Novakofski, Fisher, Ford, Jones, Kaufman, Mallory (Vice Chair), Schacht, Scheff, Weller, Wheeler, Wood

Members absent: Anderson, Chambers, Fossum, Grossman, Kagan, Strom, Tolliver

Guests: Larry Mann, Joseph White

The USC met in Room G, Public Affairs Center, UIS. Chair Bodenhorn called the meeting to order at 10:00 a.m. The USC immediately met in Executive Session with President White. He reported that the Campus Research Board at UIUC received 351 requests in FY06 totaling $5.83M, of which $2.37M was awarded. One-half of funds awarded were for research, assistantships, and travel. The President commented that even a small amount of money makes a big difference to the humanities. President White also provided an update on the Vice President for Academic Affairs search.

When asked about The Academy on Capitalism and Limited Government Fund in the University of Illinois Foundation, President White said that it is an endowment fund, not an actual academy, for the purpose of helping faculty pursue academic activities that would further the views and interests as described. He said that the usual approval processes that are used for the funding of academic activities would apply.

Chair Bodenhorn reported that USC had a discussion the evening before concerning the Global Campus Academic Council (GCAC) and decided to recommend to the President that a permanent Academic Council be appointed rather than an interim council; the President liked the recommendation. A discussion with the President about the Global Campus  and the Academic Council followed.

Following the Executive Session, USC approved minutes of the 30 March 2007 meeting as written. Items to be classified from the three campus senates were approved. There were no old business items for USC action. New business items included a discussion of the recalculation of the apportionment of USC membership and of the USC 2007 Retreat. The Conference agreed to create a small working group to look into issues of reapportionment. The Conference agreed to hold its 2007 retreat at Allerton House Conference Center on 24 and 25 September. John Wood (UIC) was selected to be the USC Observer of the Board of Trustees meeting on 17 May 2007 in Chicago.

Old business items for information and discussion continued with notification by the campuses of progress on written procedures to implement multi-year contracts, the Global Campus, removal of the item on Chief Illiniwek from the USC agenda, interactions with legislatures, proposed revisions to The General Rules on naming of university facilities and programs, USC guests, and campus updates.

The meeting adjourned at 2:00 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Michael Grossman
UIUC Senate representative to USC
Adapted from minutes approved at the USC meeting of 26 June 2007.
Thanks to Connie Sailor, USC Secretary.