President B. Joseph White spoke to members of the University, students and community members as part of the Know Your University lecture series at the University of Illinois YMCA, 1001 S. Wright St., Tuesday.
White talked briefly about the admissions scandal and the reforms that will be in place Wednesday.
“The board and I are working hard to fix the leadership problems, and it will be resolved soon,” he said. “We raced to get reforms in place for this year’s admissions.”
Walter McMahon, professor of economics emeritus and Champaign resident, said he thought White’s speech was well-delivered.
“I think he was very open in addressing questions,” McMahon said.
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White discussed how the University has fared through the recession and what challenges it will face in the future.
“Overall, the big picture is good,” White said, referring to the University’s future. “We’ve been around for 142 years and have survived everything.”
White talked about the state’s finance problems and effects on the University.
“Fiscal year 2010 looks difficult,” he said. “It’s worse than 2009 because we’re further into the recession, and the state’s situation is worse.”
He said the Board of Trustees and administration will be facing hard decisions about spending reduction and tuition and fee policies because of the state’s finance problems.
