Board of Trustees

Collection

Identifier: RHC-UA-03-##b8h

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

These records are divided into five record series, but two deserve special mention. Series I contains the by-laws, policies and regulations which govern the board's activities. Also included are biennial reports and proceedings of meetings detailing actions taken by the board. Series II comprises the Executive Officers Reports. These reports include an update on the Board of Regents office personnel and record information on union negotiations, enrollment, class size, internal budgets, faculty teaching loads, payroll procedures, and institutional development. The next two series comprise reports, budgets, committee records, and publications. Series V contains material on the Board of Trustees established in 1995. The Board of Regents “Commemorative Report 1967 -1995" is located in Box 1. Researchers using this collection should also look at the “President’s Report to the Board” (1932-) found in UA 4, President’s Office Records (boxes 347-352).

Dates

created: 1895+
Other: Majority of material found in 1895-
Other: Date acquired: 00/00/1960

Conditions Governing Access

There are no restrictions on access to the records.

Biographical or Historical Information

Governor John Altgeld appointed a Board of Trustees for the proposed Northern Illinois State Normal School in 1895. The board's responsibilities included appointing instructors, fixing their salaries, and defining their duties as well as removing any faculty after giving ten days notice of the charge against them and an opportunity for defense. In addition, the Board decided on the text books, apparatus, and furniture to be used in the school and made regulations necessary for managing the institution. In July, 1917, the Illinois Senate reorganized Northern's Board of Trustees and the boards of the other four State Normal Schools in the state into a single Normal School Board. The Normal School presidents disliked the new Normal School Board because it increased bureaucratic "red tape." The presidents' grievances included the lengthy preparation of financial forms, difficulties in the civil service regulations, and delays in the construction of buildings. Under the old boards, the presidents had more administrative control; they could use various fees to pay bills, meet emergencies, and raise salaries without listing it in the budget or securing board approval. Unfortunately, the presidents' complaints came to naught; the board's powers increased over the years. In 1941, the Normal School Board became the Teachers College Board in an effort to reflect the new teachers college status of the Normal Schools. The name changed again in 1965 to the Board of Governors of State Colleges and Universities. On July 1, 1967 Northern Illinois University, Illinois State University, and Sangamon State University came under the jurisdiction of a newly created Board of Regents. This board, as with previous governing agencies, was empowered to approve or disapprove any actions taken by the Universities to alter faculty, curricula, facilities, or budget. This Board for the three Universities was dissolved at the end of 1995. Starting on January 1, 1996 Northern Illinois University established its own Board of Trustees to govern its activities.

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