A superbly balanced'system of systems'or a 'nonsystem'which discourages efficient operation anddefies understanding?

public higher education which is considered by some to be a superbly anddelicately balanced "system ofsystems." Others prefer to call it a"nonsystem" which discourages efficient operation and defies understanding.

What is the system of systems?

Just what is this so called " system of systems "?

It is a complex governance arrangement created by the General Assembly over a 14 year period upon recommendation of BHE. The broad system includes five distinct governance systems which manage 14 major senior universities and professional schools and 48 junior or community colleges. Few, if any, of those who still champion the system of systems argue that it encourages centralized planning in termsof educational policy, state geography,or institutional mission. Rather, thes ystem's supporters contend that the structure permits a large and diverse agricultural and industrial state, containing complex cultural and ethnic communities, to provide reasonable and representative postsecondary education, (see accompanying map for the geographic location of the 14 major senior university and professional campuses). The formal governing bodies of these schools are as follows:

(1) The U. of I. Board of Trustees System. This Board now controls operations of the institutions's Urbana Champaign Campus, the Chicago Circle Campus, and the Medical CenterCampus in Chicago. A single president serves as the institution's chief executive officer. Additionally, each campus has its own chancellor who reports directly to the system president. The Board willalso govern regional medical schoolfacilities now being established inPeoria, Rockford, and UrbanaChampaign and operating in conjunction with the main Medical Center Campus.

Perhaps the most striking difference between the U. of I. Board and the other four systems lies in the selection process of its members. Except for exofficio members, all U. of I. Boardmembers are elected for six year terms in partisan statewide elections. The U.of I. Alumni Association plays a criticalrole in the process whereby nominationsfor party slates are transmitted to party conventions. Members of other boards,again, except for ex officio members,are appointed by the Governor.

(2) SIU Board of Trustees System.This Board governs two major institutions, located in Carbondale andEdwardsville, plus a relatively new medical campus in Springfield. At the present, the SIU Board appoints separate presidents to direct campus operations at Carbondale and Edwardsville. The medical facility at Springfield is attached to the Carbondale campus for management purposes.

A current source of major contentionin the SIU system is the role of an officer known as "chief of board staff," aposition created in January of 1974. At that time the SIU Board elevated this officer and gave him the authority to interpret Board policy to the campus presidents and to represent the Board inexternal system matters.

(3) Board of Regents System.Grouped together for management purposes under the Board of Regents areIllinois State University at Normal,Northern Illinois University at DeKalb,and Sangamon State University inSpringfield, one of the new "senior" universities. Sangamon State opened in the fall of 1970.

Presidents of these universities have direct access to the Board of Regents.The Board also employs an executive officer who coordinates system operations and is known in the higher education community as the Board of Regents "system head."

(4) Board of Governors System. The five institutions governed by the Board of Governors are Eastern Illinois and Western Illinois Universities, located atCharleston and Macomb, respectively,and formerly governed by the old StateTeachers College Board; Chicago StateUniversity and Northeastern Illinois University, both located in Chicago and at one time managed by the Chicago Board of Education as the two branches of the now defunct Chicago Teachers

College; and, finally. Governors State University in Park Forest, a "senior"institution which opened in the fall of 1971.

As in the case of the Regency presidents, chief executives of these schools report directly to the system board. The system parallels the Board of Regents system in that a Board ofGovernors executive officer serves as"system head."

(5) Community College BoardSystem. The fifth unit within the system of systems is the Community College Board, which coordinates 38 junior college districts in Illinois. Each of these districts has its own local board,and funding for these schools — unlikethat for the senior institutions — comes both from the State general fund and from local taxes. Functioning within the 38 districts are 48 different communitycolleges. Like the Board of Regents andthe Board of Governors, the IllinoisCommunity College Board employs an executive officer to manage systemwide administrative affairs.

Special statutory provisions are made under the law for the Chicago City Colleges which, like other community college districts, have their own board,but also employ a chancellor to over see operations of the eight Chicago community colleges.

Effectiveness of the system of systems
As I have indicated, there is much debate regarding the effectiveness of the system of systems. Within the leadership of the systems there are some who believe it would be absolute folly to attempt a modification of this structure in a time of scarce resources and economic uncertainty. Others feel the arrangement worked reasonably well when dollars were more plentiful but that a more centralized and efficient system is now required.

Although the BHE was not classified above as a "system" within the systemof systems, it is certainly a very important element in the total management picture, charged not only with master planning but also with the review and approval of all public postse condary educational programs in the State and the consolidation of budget recommendations for all systems.

In a time of fiscal retrenchment, both of these functions assume greater significance. For example, during a period when both instructional and research programs in environmental

6 /Illinois Issues/January 1975