NORMAL—The Board of Regents discussed possible development of tuition and sexual harassment policies Thursday.

Regents Chancellor Roderick Groves presented a tuition abatement plan to the Illinois Board of Higher Education in early October in hopes that the IBHE would include his statement in its tuition guidelines policy.

At Thursday’s meeting, Groves presented his statement to the Board of Regents and the Regents suggested that further development of the policy is necessary.

Regents Chairwoman Carol Burns suggested that the three Regency system presidents prepare statements for the December Regents meeting which would later be presented to the Illinois Board of Higher Education.

Groves said, “If the board of higher education is looking for options, it should be in hog-heaven.” At the last IBHE meeting, more than seven representatives from different Illinois universities submitted statements to the board concerning tuition policy.

Groves said, “These testimonies did a good job in pointing out the deficiencies in state funding. If the state wants to lower our dependency on tuition, then they have to be looking on the other side of the ledger also.”

Burns said that if the IBHE will not adopt a policy, then a group of universities should band together and do it.

Illinois State University President Tom Wallace suggested the Regents form a code of ethics concerning the possible development of a sexual harrassment policy. The Regents agreed that further discussion would occur once adequate information is submitted to the board.