Both the decision by the Board of Trustees this summer to approve same-sex partner benefits and the decision to approve a 5 percent tuition increase, at the suggestion of Gov. Rod Blagojevich, prompted public officials to question the board member appointment process.

State Representative Bill Mitchell (R-Forsyth) filed legislation last week that would change the way board members get their positions: Rather than being appointed by the governor, members would be elected directly by constituents.

"My point of view is that trustees should be held accountable to the people," Mitchell said. "They have to think about what the people want."

Board members were elected before 1994, when former Gov. Jim Edgar began to appoint board members.

Under the election system, the two parties nominated candidates. Edgar said toward the end, however, the nomination became more of a "political constellation prize."

"It kind of broke down," Edgar said. "People were (nominated) that didn't have that much experience with the University."

Edgar said the appointment system theoretically works better.

"You've got to make good appointments," he said. "(The appointment system) was the right thing to do at the time. Now it's time to have a debate and take a look and see whether to go back (to the old system)."

The current legislation was prompted, in part, by Mitchell's disapproval with the board's decision to approve same-sex partner benefits — he said that decision was an impetus for his decision to file the legislation.

Mitchell said given that the University had taken millions of dollars in cuts this year, it should not have agreed to spend the estimated $400,000 the domestic partner benefits program will cost.

The board approved allowing same-sex benefits in a 6-2 vote, with board members Ken Schmidt and Robert Vickrey dissenting.

State Representative Chapin Rose (R-Charleston) said he supported the legislation because he felt that in the past few years Blagojevich and former Gov. George Ryan had not paid enough attention to the recommendations of the alumni association when appointing board members.

"I'm very concerned by this board," Rose said. "They are responsible more to the governor than they are to the institution."

Rose mentioned the board's decision this summer to opt for a 5 percent tuition increase rather than the 8 percent initially recommended by the University, after Blagojevich said 8 percent was too high.

However, there were disagreements over how much control Blagojevich actually has over the board.

While Edgar said the governor had too much day-to-day control over the board members, Trustee Ken Schmidt disagreed, pointing out that Blagojevich appointed four of the nine current board members.

Schmidt said he did not see the legislation as beneficial to the University.

"The idea of that legislation is rather reactive, rather than proactive," Schmidt said. "I don't think it's in the best interest of the University."