Chancellor Phyllis M. Wise said she and her leadership team are working on the myriad details in a plan to create a medical "enterprise" on the Urbana campus, but cautioned it would take "many, many steps before this becomes a reality."
Wise made her remarks as she updated the Senate Executive Committee on the progress of the medical project plan at its June 23 meeting. She also asked for members' advice on strategies for proceeding quickly and effectively.
The chancellor made a similar presentation to the University Senates Conference, will give a progress update at the semester's first meeting of the Urbana Academic Senate in September and is hopeful a detailed proposal for the U. of I. Board of Trustees will be ready for presentation by its September meeting.
A medical enterprise on the Urbana campus would require approval by the U. of I. Board of Trustees and the Illinois Board of Higher Education; involve the painstaking development of a wide range of partnerships in and out of the community; require the development of a curriculum; undertake an accreditation process; depend upon funding sources separate from the state of Illinois; and could face a host of other unknown issues that may crop up during the fact-finding process.
Wise said a balance will have to be struck among all involved, including the U. of I.'s main proposed partner, Carle Clinic, and leaders of the UIC campus, which has its own medical enterprise.
"We want to build it around the strengths we have in the College of Engineering," Wise said. "It's important we do this in areas that complement Chicago and in a real partnership with Carle."
She said the partnerships would help the campus meet the spirit of the themes pointed out in the recent Visioning Future Excellence process, which included health and wellness, information technology and economic development.
While an engineering focus could lead to exciting new medical discoveries and devices, Wise said, there also would be partnerships developed between the medical enterprise and the arts and humanities that could reach unknown academic and commercial realms.
Wise has said the partnership with Carle would not include any financial stake by the U. of I. in its hospital operation, but would be an academic and research venture. Christie Clinic, among others in the community, would have a role in the medical enterprise, as would outside partners like Northwestern University and Mayo Clinic.
The initial plan calls for doctors to have joint appointments with Carle and as university faculty members.
To avoid competing with UIC for state funding, Wise said, support for the medical enterprise would come from foundations and corporate funding.
"It puts the onus on us to begin raising money," she said, "but I have not asked anyone for any money yet because I think we need a business plan first."
There wasn't a consensus among SEC members as to how the medical enterprise would be established through senate statutes, or even whether adjustments might be needed in the statutes to accommodate "a new kind of creature" according to Sen. William Maher, a professor of library administration and university archivist.
Sen. Abbas Aminmansour, the chair of the Education Policy Committee, said the academic side of the equation should be relatively straightforward and already has established campus guidelines, including a public hearing requirement. He suggested forming an ad hoc committee to investigate the depth of the process.
"External partnerships shouldn't make any difference," he said. "I don't think it would be an issue."
Wise formed an ad hoc committee comprising SEC members to advise her on the senate approval process.
