THURSDAY September 28, 2017
THE DAILY ILLINI The independent student newspaper at the University of Illinois since 1871
WWW.DAILYILLINI.COM
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Vol. 147 Issue 10
University salaries failing to compete BY LUKE COOPER STAFF WRITER
The University revealed average faculty salaries continued to decline in the 2017 fiscal year in relation to the school’s self-selected “peer universities” after reporting performance metrics at a Board of Trustees meeting on Thursday, Sept. 7, University officials select “peer universities” based on their institutional structure, academic standards and comparable faculty and research. It’s a problem,” O’Brien
said. “(Faculty) have been leaving for higher paying jobs. There have been more people leaving (the University) as our salaries have fallen behind other institutions than were leaving prior to that. There’s just an obvious correlation.” Data within the performance metrics showed a continuing decline in the University’s average faculty salary from about 5 percent below its self-selected peer universities median in 2016 to about 7 percent in 2017. Additionally, the Universi-
ty reported that the number of job offers made to its tenure system faculty in the 2016 fiscal year was higher than it has been since 2012. University spokeswoman Robin Kaler wrote in an email that the University understands its current position and cites insufficient state funding as a primary cause. “We are trying to be proactive in retention offers — despite the budget constraints we continue to face,” Kaler said. “Specific salary decisions are made at the
department and college level, but our overall goal is to do all we can to retain our worldclass faculty.” David O’Brien, a long-serving professor in the School of Art and Design, said the University’s decline in competitive salaries is noticeable. “O’Brien said that the School of Art and Design has had faculty leave for universities such as the University of Notre Dame and the University of Southern
Faculty migration for fiscal years 2012-2016 The number of tenure system faculty members receiving outside offers has increased. Fiscal Year
Fiscal Year Fiscal Year Fiscal Year Fiscal Year
2012 2013 2014 2015 2016
Stay
67 32 32 26 43
Resign
38 30 38 46 67 2 4 7 3 2 0 2 1 8 8
Leave without Pay
Pending
BERCHAM KAMBER THE DAILY ILLINI SOURCE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS BOARD OF TRUSTEES
SEE SALARY | 3A
Finding strength through her faith
DACA: UI political groups react BY KARAN ABROL CONTRIBUTING WRITER
On Sept. 14, it was reported that President Trump is working with the Democratic Party to pass a resolution to Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals into law in the next six months. This is the newest attempt by the government to reach across the aisle in its decision making. In response, campus political organizations are mirroring these attempts in the pursuit of better communication. Jack Johnson, sophomore in Engineering and vice president of Illini Republicans, supports the president’s decision. “I voted for Trump, and I don’t regret it now,” Johnson said. “I’m glad he’s looking for bipartisanship … if (members of congress) don’t learn to work together, I don’t think anything’s gonna happen on either side.” Anusha Thotakura, president of Illini Democrats, also agrees with the decision to help DACA recipients, but she didn’t share Johnson’s compliments. “I think it says more about the political pressure that he’s been put under right now. To work for DACA because DACA has popular support, it has around 70 percent support across the country,” Thotakura said. According to the Pew Research Center, 11 million undocumented immigrants are currently living in the U.S. “A lot of the Republicans in favor of anti-immigration, in favor of deporting all illegal immigrants in this country actually support DACA because DACA recipients pay taxes, they contribute to the country, to the economy in a variety of ways,” Thotakura said. Johnson said he believes that DACA will not have a future, even in light of Trump’s efforts in the other direction. He said he feels that DACA was an executive overreach by President Obama and referred to it as “a reward for people cutting in line.” SEE DIVIDE | 3A
BY JAMES BOYD STAFF WRITER
In Ana Rodas’ room, right next to her closet, she’s pinned a quote that reads, “With God, all things are possible.” The small decoration is just one element of a space that is not only adorned with words of encouragement but also pictures, letters and anything else Rodas holds dear to her heart. The decorations make her room feel cozy and homey. But when taking a deeper look, each piece exemplifies a different part of her journey. Rodas, senior in FAA, has made a lot of sacrifices to get to this point. As an undocumented immigrant from Guatemala, she is now within less than a year of graduating from the University. “I think for me, the degree is not just going to be (about) the countless hours and sleepless nights that I spent doing art projects,” Rodas said. “It’s lit-
BRIAN BAUER THE DAILY ILLINI
SEE DACA | 3A
INSIDE
Ana Rodas, senior in FAA, is one year from getting her diploma from the University. Rodas, who has been in the United States for 15 years, is an undocumented immigrant from Guatemala. She is one of the 800,000 Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals recipients, and her fate is unknown under the Trump administration. However, that is not preventing Rodas from forging a community here, and she has heavily relied on her faith. She plans on attending graduate school after completing her degree.
Minority students hesitate to participate BY HEATHER SCHLITZ CONTRIBUTING WRITER
University sponsored dinner teaches proper etiquette PAGE 8A
Illini responds to NFL Protests PAGE 1B
Wearing a light purple hijab and rose-colored lipstick, Marihah Muhsinah, freshman in Engineering, feels the strain of constantly being under a spotlight. Muhsinah, a BangladeshiAmerican, said she keeps to herself during class discussions, feeling occasionally unwelcomed by her white classmates and under a constant pressure to be a good representative of her race and religion. “I feel like I have to be more (toned down), and I can’t express myself as much because I don’t want people to get the wrong impression of Muslims or hijabi girls in general,” Muhsinah said. “I think I definitely keep myself a little more reserved because I don’t want to come off as a know-it-all brown girl, so in
THE DAILY ILLINI FILE PHOTO
Students get ready for the honors section of CS 196: Intro to Computer Science for CS Majors on Tuesday night in the Seibel lecture hall. Many minority students say they feel uncomfortable speaking up in class or feel excluded during group discussions because of their race or religion.
discussion classes, I won’t say much and I’ll just let the other people talk.” Although research conducted by Indiana University Purdue University Columbus on the effects of race on participation in class discussions has been largely mixed and the results inconclusive,
some evidence suggests that white students participate at a higher rate than minorities. Although most students said that participation varies sharply by class, Muhsinah said that, in at least one of her classes, there is an obvious disparity between the ways minority and white
students talk. “I’ve definitely noticed that white students are a lot more vocal when it comes to advocating for their opinions or talking about what they think they should do to solve a problem,” she said. “I’ve definitely noticed that minoriSEE CLASS | 3A
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