Statement from Lawrence C. Eppley
University of Illinois Board of Trustees Annual Meeting
Statement by Board of Trustees Chair Lawrence C. Eppley
January 18, 2007
Thank you.
I never take it for granted or get tired of saying it, so let me say again how deeply thankful I am for your trust and confidence, a trust and confidence shared by each of us for all of us.
I know I speak for all of us in saying that we on the board look forward to working with everyone in the University of Illinois community in the coming year.
So let’s get started.
I think 2007 will prove to be a remarkable year for a number of reasons. The important work of this Board, the administration and the many talented people who work day in and out to make this a great university is never finished.
Most of the tasks are unending, passing from one generation to the next. Critical challenges once dealt with inevitably are replaced by new ones.
I hope you will agree that at the top of our to-do list for 2007, in no particular order of priority, are the following:
- We will monitor implementation of the University of Illinois Strategic Plan. We have solid, high aspirational plans, developed on a ground-up basis from a top-down directive. It will be our good fortune to participate in and witness the achievement of these goals.
- We’ll continue to analyze and act strategically on behalf of the University and the citizens of Illinois in terms of identifying and evaluating the resources necessary to sustain the greatness of the University and realize our strategic goals.
- Part and parcel of that, of course, entails the 5/500 Plan and the Compact: state support, federal research funding, tuition with financial aid, philanthropic support and, importantly, internal reallocations and cost reductions.
- As to this last point, in terms of husbanding our precious resources and paying attention to issues of sustainability, the Board will consider the report of the university’s Energy Task Force and ways in which all campuses can become more efficient and reduce the growth in energy costs.
- Other essential pieces of the resource issue are the possibility of a capital budget, which will help in our ongoing campaign to address deferred maintenance issues, and a campaign with our partner universities in Illinois to build support for the Illinois Bill of Health, so we can continue to serve as the principal source of educating health care professionals in the State of Illinois.
- We are creating a Board Committee on Access. I’ve asked Trustee Carroll to chair this new committee and to come back to us at the next meeting with a draft committee charter. This committee will report on and monitor the university’s role in ensuring educational opportunities for students of all income and ethnic backgrounds.
- Another major event ahead of us is the University of Illinois Foundation’s June launch of the next capital campaign, which promises to be a major success. Sid Micek from the Foundation plans to meet with each of us to discuss the campaign and gather our input.
- It is also time to finish the work of our consensus process and bring to a conclusion the matter of Chief Illiniwek, so that the University can be removed from the list of NCAA policy violators, move our institution forward and allow our student athletes to compete at the highest levels and free of sanctions.
- Finally, there is a golden opportunity to help shrink the education gap through the Global Campus Partnership. This is a true entrepreneurial effort that can help us transform more lives through the power and reach and with the quality of our institution. We look forward to hearing more about the status of this exciting initiative later today.
Again, I thank my colleagues for this privilege and honor of serving as Chair.
We have a lot ahead of us today and in the year to come, so let’s get to work with the next order of business.
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