university of illinois - UIHistories Project

1956] UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS IO7
of the new money is for adjustments of salaries and wages for necessary
extension of existing programs of education and research, and some of it
reflects increased operating costs.
Building Program
The complete report of the Building Program Committee was sent to all members
of the Board of Trustees for their study in advance of the meeting. That
part of the report which includes recommendations for the biennium for 1957-59
is included in the minutes below. A complete copy was filed with the Secretary
of the Board for record.
President Henry opened the presentation of this part of the budget by referring
to the excellent work of the Building Program Committee under the
chairmanship of Professor Norman A. Parker, Head of the Department of
Mechanical Engineering. The President announced that subsequent to the study
of the building program by the two committees of the Board, he has decided to
recommend addition of the following:
Plans and specifications for the Agronomy Unit of the Plant Sciences
Building $ 200 000
Matching funds for federal grants for science and research facilities 1 000 000
Acquisition of a site for the Chicago Undergraduate Division I 250 000
Total $2 450 000
The addition of these items will make the building program total $35,674,000.
Self Liquidating Projects. It is feasible to include in the Building Program for
1957-59 the following buildings which can be financed through bond issues
and the assessment of a building service fee and which will require no direct
state appropriation:
Addition to the Illini Union Building (this has already been authorized
by the Board) $5 000 000
Student Service Building (including the Health Service) 2 000 000
Auditorium-Gymnasium Building 5 000 000
$12 000 000
The President recommended that these projects be included in the building program
for 1957-59, although not in the askings for state funds.
It is estimated that the assessment of a student service fee of $20 per semester
(this will apply only to students enrolled on the Urbana-Champaign campus)
will provide sufficient revenues for the amortization of bond issues. Since this will
be a service charge, the fee will not be assessed until the buildings are ready
for use.
Following this presentation, President Megran called for discussion
by the Board of Trustees, in which all of the members present participated.
Mr. Livingston discussed the studies made by the two committees
of the Board in which seven of the Trustees participated. He called
attention to the financing of the student housing program, funds for
which come from a small amount of withholding from tuition fees, as
authorized by law, and the balance from non-tax sources. He pointed
out that this method of financing can be extended to the self-liquidating
projects proposed by the President of the University.
At the conclusion of these discussions, Mr. Livingston moved that
the following operating budget and building program be approved and
that the President of the University and the President of the Board be
authorized to present these recommendations to the Department of Finance,
to the state administration and the Budgetary Commission. On
motion of Mr. Herrick, Mr. Livingston's motion was amended to include
the Chairman of the Finance Committee in the presentation of the
budget and building program to the state administration. This motion,
as amended, was adopted by the following vote: Aye, Mr. Bissell, Mr.