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Summary Report for UIUC AAUP Policy Committee Meeting on March 19, 2014
Present: Ken Andersen Bettina Francis, Michael Grossman, Lewis Hopkins, Walter McMahon, David O’Brien, Robert Parker, John Prussing, Arthur Robinson, Donald Uchtmann, H. F. Williamson
The meeting began at about 12:06 p.m.
President's Report
(1) Review of the Minutes for February 19, 2014 Meeting of Policy Committee. The minutes were approved.
(2) Schedule of Spring Meetings. The schedule was provided in the agenda (see below). There was a question about the time for the Annual Meeting. (NOTE: The 2013 Annual Meeting started with a social hour at 3:30 and with the formal meeting starting at 4 p.m. There was the brief Business Meeting followed by the Panel Discussion on Shared Governance and Collective Bargaining.
(a) Policy Committee: (a) Wednesday, April 16: noon, 209 Illini Union; (b) Wednesday, May 7: noon, 209 Illini Union
(b) Tenure Workshop: Tuesday, April 22, 2 – 4:30 p.m., 210 Illini Union
(c) Annual Meeting: Tuesday, May 13: TBA
(3) Remarks from President. O’Brien reported that Hilton was unable to attend because he was ill. Hilton had informed him that Chancellor Wise was looking forward to meeting with us on a date to be determined. Williamson and Uchtmann led a remembrance of the contribution s of Geneva Belford to the AAUP during her long tenure on the Policy Committee and as Chapter President.
Action Items
(4) Invitations to Other Campus Administrators to meet with Policy Committee in Spring. Katherine Laing will be contacted about meeting with the Committee. She last met with the Policy Committee in May, 2011.
(5) Planning for the Spring Tenure Workshop, Tuesday, April 22, in 210 Illini Union. Williamson circulated copies of the draft memo and workshop poster for use to inform colleagues and department heads about the seminar. They will also be sent with the minutes. A workshop announcement will be in Inside Illinois and on Eweek. (NOTE: It was suggested that we ask to have the announcement in the two issues of Inside Illinois leading up to the workshop. This is not permitted by their editorial policy). It was also suggested that we see whether the Deans and Directors mailing list can be used to publicize the workshop. Williamson indicated he would ask Barbara Wilson about this possibility.
(6) Report from Nominating Committee: Prussing reported on the behalf of the committee whose other members were Hopkins and Williamson that the slate will be the current officers: President: Harry Hilton; Vice President: David O’Brien; Secretary-Treasurer: H. F. Williamson.
(7) Report on National AAUP Elections. There was an extensive discussion in general of various issues that have arisen at the national level over the past four or five years and in particular of the issues involved in the national election now taking place.
(8) Planning for the Annual Meeting. We continued discussing the possibility of having a panel discussion at the annual meeting of the issues raised by academic boycotts. Parker noted that the issues raised by reactions to the boycotts may be more important than those raised by the boycotts themselves. He quoted concerns raised in an email from a colleague concerning a proposed bill in the Illinois legislature (Illinois Senate Bill 3017). Among other things, it appears to prohibit use of University funds for involvement (e.g., funding the organization; funding travel for employees to attend its meetings) with organizations that have boycotted countries that are members of the OECD. It also indicates that “the University is not eligible for State aid during the academic year in which the University is in violation” of this prohibition. Parker and O’Brien will contact individuals concerning their willingness to be part of a panel discussion on this topic at the annual meeting.
Reports
(9) Government Relations Committee. Andersen and McMahon led a discussion of what is likely to occur if the current Illinois income tax surcharge is allowed to expire. It is expected that the impact of this loss in potential income would lead to cuts as large as 30% in the UIUC budget. McMahon reported he was working with the IGPA on analyses of this issue. The reports are available on their web site.
