Mass protests planned for education on March 8th
McBride caves on social sciences counterproposal
Erin Vogel
Issue date: 2/8/10 Section: News
Media Credit: Illinois Works for the FutureFaculty intends to send a message to state legislators in Springfield.
Hundreds of professors from the University of Illinois have planned a common furlough day for March 8th in the hopes of educating the public about their problems.
They have created a website, uicjointfurlough.wordpress.com, to raise awareness of their cause. They also have a Twitter, a Facebook, and a letter that students can send to their state representatives to request support for UIC.
"We understand the very real financial crisis faced by the University of Illinois system is related to the larger budget situation in the state," says the group's mission statement. "Even in these dire economic times, however, our elected officials and our institutional leaders have to set priorities. We want to underscore that quality accessible higher education for the young people of Illinois, today and in the future, has to be one of those priorities. Cuts in resources to education represent disinvestment in our students and their future."
Students are advised to use the resources of this website to contact their state representatives to voice their opinions and support of the faculty's tough financial situation.
The five departments of the Social Sciences, however, have been faring slightly better. As has been chronicled in the Flame since November, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Dean Dwight McBride sent a plan to consolidate the administrative functions of the political science, communication, anthropology, criminal justice, and sociology departments. The departments rejected his plan and sent a counterproposal, which Dean McBride rejected. However, the Dean has reconsidered and agreed to the department heads' counterproposal.
Each department will keep two academic support staffers: assistant to the head and a staff member that will advise undergraduates, amongst other responsibilities. The five departments had a vote regarding the counterproposal: 51 members were in favor and 1 abstained from voting.
The Flame asked Dean McBride why he reversed his stance from last week. McBride did not respond. Instead, university spokesman Bill Burton wrote back arguing that there has been no reversal.
"I do not think it would be accurate to say the College 'reversed itself.' The College agreed to hear an alternative proposal to the original plan. The social science unit heads presented such a proposal. After discussion of that proposal, the College agreed to review a second version of it. The College did accept the revised version at a meeting Tuesday morning. This was an example of good collaboration between the College and the social science unit heads, who worked hard to achieve the needed savings."
While many faculty members from the affected departments we spoke to were grateful that the dean accepted the heads' counterproposal, no one would call it an example of "good" anything. Last week, for instance, we reported that a group of faculty accused the dean of moving the goalposts on the proposal and said he had "wasted" the heads' time by rejecting their proposal on the grounds that there would be less savings. Why did he decide to accept it?
"He got the unanimous message from our faculty that this would not work," said one professor from the affected departments.
Dick Simpson, Head of Political Science, added: "The messages from the SS faculty to LAS about what the alternatives might mean in real terms I think did have some influence.
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They have created a website, uicjointfurlough.wordpress.com, to raise awareness of their cause. They also have a Twitter, a Facebook, and a letter that students can send to their state representatives to request support for UIC.
"We understand the very real financial crisis faced by the University of Illinois system is related to the larger budget situation in the state," says the group's mission statement. "Even in these dire economic times, however, our elected officials and our institutional leaders have to set priorities. We want to underscore that quality accessible higher education for the young people of Illinois, today and in the future, has to be one of those priorities. Cuts in resources to education represent disinvestment in our students and their future."
Students are advised to use the resources of this website to contact their state representatives to voice their opinions and support of the faculty's tough financial situation.
The five departments of the Social Sciences, however, have been faring slightly better. As has been chronicled in the Flame since November, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Dean Dwight McBride sent a plan to consolidate the administrative functions of the political science, communication, anthropology, criminal justice, and sociology departments. The departments rejected his plan and sent a counterproposal, which Dean McBride rejected. However, the Dean has reconsidered and agreed to the department heads' counterproposal.
Each department will keep two academic support staffers: assistant to the head and a staff member that will advise undergraduates, amongst other responsibilities. The five departments had a vote regarding the counterproposal: 51 members were in favor and 1 abstained from voting.
The Flame asked Dean McBride why he reversed his stance from last week. McBride did not respond. Instead, university spokesman Bill Burton wrote back arguing that there has been no reversal.
"I do not think it would be accurate to say the College 'reversed itself.' The College agreed to hear an alternative proposal to the original plan. The social science unit heads presented such a proposal. After discussion of that proposal, the College agreed to review a second version of it. The College did accept the revised version at a meeting Tuesday morning. This was an example of good collaboration between the College and the social science unit heads, who worked hard to achieve the needed savings."
While many faculty members from the affected departments we spoke to were grateful that the dean accepted the heads' counterproposal, no one would call it an example of "good" anything. Last week, for instance, we reported that a group of faculty accused the dean of moving the goalposts on the proposal and said he had "wasted" the heads' time by rejecting their proposal on the grounds that there would be less savings. Why did he decide to accept it?
"He got the unanimous message from our faculty that this would not work," said one professor from the affected departments.
Dick Simpson, Head of Political Science, added: "The messages from the SS faculty to LAS about what the alternatives might mean in real terms I think did have some influence.
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
neilyoung
posted 2/14/10 @ 12:38 PM CST
that good news ~~~~~
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