Present: (Members) Hadi Esfahani, Robin Kar, Richard Laugesen, David O’Brien, Robert Parker, Daniel Steward, Leslie Struble, H. F. Williamson (Guest) David Cisneros.
The meeting began at about 11:30 a.m. with Kar presiding.
Present:
Members: Hadi Esfahani, Robin Kar, Richard Laugesen, David O’Brien, Robert Parker, Daniel Steward, Leslie Struble, H. F. Williamson
Guest: David Cisneros.
The meeting began at about 11:30 a.m. with Kar presiding.
(1) Introductions.
(2) Review of the Minutes for February 13, 2025 Meeting of Policy Committee. Since there were no responses to his request for substantive comments on the minutes, Kar announced that they were adopted by unanimous consent.
(3) President’s Remarks. Kar noted that we have seen such events as (a) the threat letters sent by the Trump administration to sixty Universities; (b) the $400 million in Federal funding that was pulled from Columbia University; and (c) the stops on many grants principally from the NIH. As difficult as the national situation has been, so far the University of Illinois has been relatively unharmed. He feels that while we have been starting from a good place in terms of promoting our values but not phrasing our concerns in ways that draw attention to us. There will be continuing opportunities to promote our values while not speaking in ways that draw unjustified attention to us. He then asked Williamson to speak in light of the recent death of Walter McMahon. Williamson noted McMahon’s 50+ year membership in the AAUP and his invaluable contributions as a member of the Chapter’s Executive Committee during that period. Other members of the Committee seconded Williamson’s appreciation for McMahon’s service.
(4) Schedule for Spring Meetings
(a) Regular Policy Committee Meeting: 11:30 a.m. by Zoom
April 3: (first Thursday)
May 1: (first Thursday); Reading Day is May 8
NOTE: May 13 is the Tuesday of final examination week, the past Annual Meeting date.
(b) Promotion and Tenure Panel: Parker reported that it will be Friday, April 18, 2025 at 2:30 PM.
(c) Annual Chapter Meeting: It was agreed that it will be May 13, the Tuesday of Final Examination week.
(d) Meetings with Administrators and Members of Board of Trustees: This will be determined depending on the availability of the Members who are selected to join us.
(5) Action Items
(a) Promotion and Tenure Panel
(i) Date: As noted earlier, the Panel will be held on April 18, 2025 at 2:30 PM.
(ii) Panelists: Kar reported that the panel members will be Executive Vice Provost Bernhard; Associate Provost Santos; Carol Tilley, Chair of Faculty Advisory Committee, and Curtis Perry, Chair of the Campus Promotion and Tenure Committee.
(iii) Next Steps: Parker noted that the key next steps are to set up the Zoom link; prepare the flier with the Zoom link; the EWeek entry also with the Zoom link; and to have the Provost send this information to Department Executive Officers encouraging attendance of faculty seeking promotion and those who are advising and mentoring these individuals.
(iv) Other: Kar noted that we will ask individuals to register for the event. Parker discussed how we will need to set up and choose individual(s) to run the chat room if the meeting is recorded to assure privacy if desired. This could be either Symes or Parker or both. Kar asked Parker to contact Symes on this decision.
(b) Annual Chapter Meeting
(i) Date: As confirmed earlier, the meeting will be Tuesday, May 13, 2025.
(ii) Suggested Program: Kar reported that he has talked with Maxim Krupskii and Peter Fritzsche who would be willing to participate in a meeting discussing the challenges to higher education that accompany moves toward autocratization. This could either occur at the Annual Meeting or at an additional public meeting. If the latter, there could be another program at the Annual Meeting to be determined. One example could be a program on how to communicate the values of higher education to the public more effectively. Steward added that it is also important to help people think about self-care and know who else has their backs. He also noted that we have the harder task in the debate about academia since it easier for our opponents to “break things” than it is for us to fix or improve them. Parker asked whether it would be possible to link the two programs. Kar then led a discussion of whom we might invite to participate in such a program. Cisneros noted some of the difficulties involved faculty attempting to communicate with the faculty. Steward wondered if the national office staff have worked on this issue and would be available make such a presentation. Kar concluded that we should have a panel at the Annual Meeting and that we now have enough information to start the formal planning of the program.
(c) Organizing on Campus. Kar thanked Laugesen for constructing the list of organizations we could contact and the initial email for contacting them. Kar sent the email last weekend indicating that we proposed that the leaders of these groups meet to discuss what our common problems and interests are and to set up lines of communication. The email went to leaders of the Senate, USC, USSP, NTFC, GEO, AAP, and CAFT. There were positive responses from almost everyone. The next steps will be to set up an introductory Zoom meeting to start this process. He also will let staff members in the offices of the Provost, Chancellor, and President know that this meeting is being planned so that they are aware of what is occurring. He will report at the next Policy Committee meeting on what has occurred in this situation. Parker noted that we should be sure that these groups realize that we don’t feel that everyone should do the same thing but that it is important to maintain communication on what we are doing. Kar agreed and read the text of the email indicating that was the intent.
(d) Procedures for Search for new Chancellor. Kar did discuss our concerns with Executive Vice President Nick Jones who explained what role shared governance had played in the search so far and that there could be a conversation about possible shifts in the future for future searches.
NOTE: At this point, Kar turned the meeting over to past President Parker due to a fire alarm in the building where he was located.
(e) Preparation for Meeting with Members of Board of Trustees. The first draft of the possible questions was presented. O’Brien noted that we are following past procedures of presenting such a list as requested before they agree to meet. There was a discussion of who on the Board will see the list we present and that it is was not likely that it would be circulated to the entire board. There was then a lengthy discussion of this first draft and of Parker’s notes on the draft. Parker asked O’Brien to send the notes to Kar so that Kar can review the notes and the video of the discussion as he prepares the final list. Parker concluded by noting the importance of emphasizing that what we are doing is intended to make it better for education and better for students and not just better for faculty and staff.
(6) Adjournment. Parker noted there were no other items to be considered at this meeting and adjourned it at about 12:40 p.m. The next meeting of the Policy Committee will be at 11:30 a.m. on Thursday, April 3, 2025