10314

MINUTES  OF THE  SPECIAL  MEETING
OF  THE

BOARD OF TRUSTEES
MICHIGAN  STATE UNIVERSITY

June  2,  1990

The meeting of the Board of Trustees was  called to order by President John DiBiaggio
at 9:08  a.m. in the Board Room of the Administration Building.

Trustees present were:  Malcolm G. Dade, Jr., Joel Ferguson, Dean Pridgeon, Barbara J.
Sawyer, Robert E. Weiss, and Kathy Wilbur.

Trustees absent were:  Lawrence D. Owen and Thomas Reed.

University  Officers present  included:  President John DiBiaggio, Provost David K.
Scott, Secretary Marylee Davis, and Vice President Roger Wilkinson.

1.  On a motion by Ms. Sawyer, supported by Mr. Ferguson, THE BOARD VOTED to approve

the proposed agenda.

2.  There were no requests to address  the Board of Trustees.

Discussion of
admission  of Penn
State  Univ  into
Big  Ten  Conf

3.  President DiBiaggio announced  the explicit purpose of the special meeting was to

discuss the admission of Pennsylvania  State University  into  the Big Ten Conference.
He reviewed  the history of the situation so Trustees would be aware of circumstances
to this point since there is the possibility of a discussion and vote occurring at
the Big Ten meetings to be held on June 3-4, 1990.

4.  At the request of Mr. Ferguson, Dr. Michael Kasavana, Faculty Representative to

the NCAA, reported on the Athletic  Council meeting held on May  24, 1990, for the
purpose of discussing  the report of the Big Ten Conference Transition and
Expansion Committee regarding  the admission of Penn State into the conference.
Dr. Kasavana reported  that although  the discussion was confidential, the Athletic
Council concurred  that Penn State  should not be admitted to the Big Ten Conference.

5.  In response to Ms. Wilbur's question if the Committee on Institutional  Cooperation

or the Provosts of the Big Ten have looked at Penn State in an academic  sense, Dr.
Scott responded  that in this regard  there has not been a discussion by either
group of academic officers.  However, if the conference is to be enlarged, he
believes  the mission and goals of Penn State would  add to the clout of the
CIC-type institutions, it being a land-grant and AAU university.

6.  Trustee  discussion focused on the issues of economics, geographic proximity,
effects on student athletes resulting  from missed  classes due to travel
distances, scheduling of athletic  events, and reasons related to not only
expansion of the Big Ten Conference, but also the timing of the expansion.

Mr. Weiss presented a motion that Michigan  State University go on record as
being opposed to adding Penn State until further study can be undertaken and
answers to questions of expansion of the Big Ten as a conference are looked at
including reasons regarding how such expansion might be beneficial to Michigan
State University  can be shown.  The motion was  supported by Mr. Ferguson and
then withdrawn prior to acceptance.

Mr. Dade summarized  the Board's discussion that Penn State is viewed as a
principle university worthy of admission and there is not a strong bias
against  its membership.  However, there are general concerns varying from the
logistics of the membership to the reason for expansion of the conference at
this time.  The discussion also reflected on the fact that Michigan State was
in a similar situation when it was considered  for admission to the Big Ten.

It was agreed  the President would  consider  the Board's dialogue as well as the
decision of the Athletic  Council when representing  the University's viewpoint
at the Big Ten meeting.

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7.  The meeting was  adjourned.

2JZ0L DiBiaggio,  Pres^tUiSt

Secretary