Fisher Report

David Ramsey

Chairperson, Economics

Board of Trustees

December 7, 1998

Introduction

• Chair of Chairs' Council
  
• CC provides a forum for chairs to discuss and present to the campus a chair's perspective on issues facing the university.
  
• My brief remarks today are from a chair's perspective.
  

1. Chairs embrace the recommendation to begin a dialogue on establishing our niche in the Illinois system of higher education
   
   1. The Fisher Report recommends that we develop our version of the Public Ivy model
      
   2. Whatever we end calling our niche, this dialogue will establish how we are going provide undergraduate and graduate education and maintain an appropriate research agenda.
      
   3. The Fisher Report provides a beginning point for our dialogue but only we can ultimately identify our niche or vision.
      
2. The Report points out the importance for all stakeholders in the university to come together and agree how to make shared governance work. A dialogue on what we are all about can contribute to the building of trustful processes under our new system. Some of the methodology used in the Report is a limitation in embracing some of the specific and narrower recommendations. The methodology also resulted in omissions. Chairs provide and oversee many detailed reports on program productivity based on data that give an accurate picture of programs. These reports did not seem to receive the same level of consideration as the anecdotal evidence provided in the report.
   
   1. Many of the more specific negatives may, however, be used by the new president to seek data to get the right answers and to make improvements where justified.
      
3. We strongly believe, however, that solving the broad issue of carving out our niche will resolve the negative specific or narrow recommendations in the Report.
   
   
4. We look forward to beginning our dialogue and are ready to accept and do our part in this important challenge.
   

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