^588 

MINUTES OF THE INFORMAL MEETING 
of the 
MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY 
BOARD OF TRUSTEES 
October 19, 1972 

Present:  President Wharton, Trustees Carrigan, Hartman, Huff, Martin, Merriman, and 
Stevens; Provost Cantlon,, Executive Vice President and Secretary Breslin, 
Vice Presidents Muelder, Nonnamaker, 
Ballard and Carr; and Dr. Wilkie. 

Perrin, Scott and Wilkinson; Messrs. 

Absent:  Trustees Thompson and White 

Preliminary 
Report of 
PresidentT s 
Task Force on 
Lifelong 
Learning 

President Wharton opened the informal meeting of the Board of Trustees at 7:35 p.m. 
He announced that the only major presentation before the Board would concern the 
President!s Task Force on Lifelong Learning.  He briefly reviewed the activities of 
the Task Force leading up to its preliminary report which had been previously distributed 
to the Trustees.  Dr. Wharton indicated that the basic questions which faced the Task 
Force were: 

Does MSU have a role in lifelong education? 
What should this role be in terms of public service, instruction and 

research and development? 

What are our special competencies and what should be our priorities? 
What resources are needed and available to perform this role in terms 

of finances, manpower, and faculty? 

What internal structures and external relationships are necessary to 

achieve our objective in terms of lifelong learning? 

Dr. Wilkie introduced the selected members of the Task Force present:  Ed Rothman, 
George Mclntyre, Dr. Richard Chapin, Dr. Mildred Erickson, Dr. Armand Hunter, and 
James C. Votruba, a Presidential Fellow.  Dr. Wilkie opened the discussion to questions 
from the Board. 

In response to a question from Trustee  Merriman,Dr. Wilkie indicated that the Task 
Force has not involved outside people to a great degree due to the fact that the 
University must first make a determination as to what^ its role might be in lifelong 
learning before it could really discuss it with other organizations off campus. 
Dr. Chapin pointed out that one of the serious problems which affect the local 
community is the fact that at the present time a person can't complete the requirements 
for an undergraduate degree by going to evening and weekend classes at MSU. 

Dr. Wilkie indicated that it has become clear to the Task Force that there are three 
basic roles open to Michigan State University in the area of lifelong learning: 
developing programs within the University; training professionals to help in the 
development of such programs at MSU and other institutions; and providing research 
and development activities in lifelong learning. 

Activities of 
Continuing 
Education 
Service 
reviewed 

Dr. Hunter presented a brief review on the MSU Continuing Education Service.  He outlined 
the types of continuing education services and programs including both on-campus and 
off-campus activities.  He added that all the Universityfs off-campus continuing 
education programs are self-supporting, while pointing out that in total there is 
about a 50-50 breakdown of self-supporting to general fund monies involved in all 
MSU continuing education programs. 

In response to a question from Trustee Hartman regarding the future of the MSU Continuing 
Education Service, Dr. Hunter indicated that no one knew at this time what the formal 
structure for lifelong learning would be.  As a further response, Provost Cantlon 
stated that the University was not about to dismantle a going program like the Continuing 
Education Service.  He did add that in the long run it was hoped that the individual 
colleges and academic departments would be able to assume some of the activities 
currently handled by the Continuing Education Service.  There was general agreement, 
however, that there would be a continuing need for off-campus centers and an administrative 
organization to operate them. 

In response to a question regarding the current practice of charging higher fees for 
off-campus courses, Dr. Cantlon mentioned that court decisions in Michigan regarding 
out-of-state tuition fees may also have a bearing on off-campus fees.  He saw the 
need for greater work in the Michigan Legislature aimed toward changing the current 
requirement that off-campus courses be self-supported by higher student fees.  President 
Wharton added that efforts are currently under way by the Michigan Council of State 
College Presidents in gathering information concerning the volume and types of courses 
offered off campus by Michigan colleges and universities. 

Dr. Wilkie reported that the Task Force plans to hold two more on-campus and probably 
two off-campus hearings in the near future before the formal report on lifelong learning 
is written.  He indicated that further off-campus input might take place following the 
Task Force's formal report. 

President Wharton adjourned the Informal Meeting of the Board of Trustees at 9:25 p.m.