Gerald W. Smith Memoir - Brookens Library

Gerald W. Smith 226mtters that had to do with bond issues, and matters that had to dowith the budgeting procedures in the Comty College Act were covepdby reference to the exist- language In the comon school law.are long, rather lerghty and detailed sections; instead oflanguage and Including it in the original act they wereIn other words, on the mtter of the budgetary procedures you did this inaccordance with Article 3. Three or four years ago the Association ofCommity Colleges and the Cormunity College Board decided that it wastime to encompass the total language within the act itself. And so thosemjor additions were made to the act. In fact they were lifted almostin total from the Colranon School Aet and rewritten to be appropriate to thefact that they are in the Cornunity College Act. No major change was madein the procedure. The act is considerably longer than it was because ofthe addition of material with regard to Chicago and those three mattersthat I have just referred to. And then as I indicated, everything in theact has been changed from l1 junior1' to ltc=ity . If But the basic patternof the act, the basic operation of the act, and so forth, are almost identicalwith the act as it became effective on July 15, 1965.Q. I'm interested in your saying that the powers that the bow& or theauthority (I have forgotten the exact wording) as originally set foAh inthe act had to be refined amd changed somewhat. Can you elaborate on thata little bit, the nature of the changes?A. I think the changes that have taken place and the additions that havebeen made or the clarif'ying language that has been made, has emanated almostentirely from the request of the boards themselves. The initial languagewas sSmple, rather broad in most cases, and h m time to time the boardsas they wrestled with one little matter or another little mtter havewished that the language had been mre explicit as to a power. Say, moreexplicit as to matters that have to do with employment and bond- of aschool treasurer, or matters that be more explicit as they have to do withthe matter of employment and setting the working conditions for staff.This ?dnd of mtter that has been the subject; or here and there the trusteeshave felt tha$ there is an implied power which they wished were explicit.It's this kind of thing. I cannot think of anything that hasbeen done that I have spoken about in there that really changed it. Itsimply was more explicit or made it clearer.Q. Well, the thing thlzt I have heard, the impression one gets is that theindividual institution including the boards and trustees are beginning tochafe at the inf'ringement upon their discretionary authority by the Cowmunity College Board itself. Now, it sounds to nae as though you're sayingthat the local boards, being reluctant to contend with the ambiguity perhapspresent in the initial act, themselves brought about this sharperlimitation, Is that a fair observation or interpretation?A. Well, I guess 1'11 have to respond to that somhat generally. Firstof all, I want to point out to you that that concern and that chafing issomething not of recent development; that began on July 15, 1965.Q. That4s wonderful. Well, this is very pertinent.1