LETTERS

Editor: I welcome Illinois Issues taking up the matter of affirmative action in its November 1995 issue (see page 10), though I wish the image you had chosen for the cover to illustrate affirmative action had been one of a multi-ethnic/gender group of persons working together, which more accurately reflects the outcome of affirmative action.

Instead, you chose a "racial code" image such as is used by the mass media to depict the "war over affirmative action." And in doing so, I believe you failed at "getting beyond the spin and keeping [us] abreast of what's really happening."

As Michael Hawthorne reports in his analysis, "perception is often more important than reality." And in my opinion, the perception created by the cover of the November issue of Illinois Issues serves to heighten the public's fear and denigrates the reality of the benefits of affirmative action to our society.

Lawrence C. Johnson
Associate chancellor for affirmative
action, University of Illinois at
Springfield

Editor: Gov. Jim Edgar took another step toward "the reform" of the state's higher education system in late October with the naming of seven members to each of the seven autonomous state university governing boards (see December 1995, page 37).

The governor's 49 appointments represent his most important act as governor thus far. He got rid of "a bureaucracy anchored in Springfield." Now each university will have its own board to ensure it is fulfilling its mission.

An analysis of Gov. Edgar's nominees, however, reminds one of a difficulty faced by these same institutions back when they were created as normal schools and had their own boards — the practice of naming a local person as an informal "resident trustee."

It started with the original autonomous boards in 1895 and continued until 1917 when the state created the Teachers College Board for the same six institutions. But, the "resident trustee" concept remained in effect until Illinois adopted the system of systems approach to higher education governance.

Charles H. Coleman, historian of Eastern Illinois University, wrote that its "resident members" at times assumed the role of surrogate president by becoming involved in the day-to-day operations of Eastern. They were readily available to dissident campus factions. Campus faculty, administrators and townspeople often turned to that individual to "get what we want."

Gov. Edgar has set the scene for the same to happen again, for on each board there is at least one individual from the institution's community. In fact, one of the nominated trustees sees value in being available. The potential for a dysfunctional relationship between each of the new boards and its president exists. It remains to be seen if each board can successfully keep its act from being thwarted by those seeking the ear of the most available trustee.

Have we traded the problem of bureaucracy for interference? It remains to be seen if the boards attempt to micromanage.

Daniel E. Thornburgh
Professor emeritus, journalism
Eastern Illinois University
Charleston

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36 * January 1996 Illinois Issues