Freshman Katrina Gerhard is Illinois’ latest, fastest wheelchair racer PAGE 1B TUESDAY September 22, 2015
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Vol. 145 Issue 19
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Academic Senate looks ahead
NIKITHA GAJULA THE DAILY ILLINI
Left: Interim Chancellor Barbara Wilson speaks to the Academic Senate during its first meeting of the year on Monday. Right: President Timothy Killeen addresses the Academic Senate on Monday regarding current issues such as the state budget and the chancellor search process.
Ten takeaways from year’s first Academic Senate meeting: 1) Interim Chancellor Barbara Wilson has been in her role for five weeks now. And she doesn’t want the job.
At Monday’s Academic Senate meeting, she said she loves the University but does not want to be in her role. She said she only took the position in hopes of helping the Urbana campus get out of its current situation after the resignations of former chancellor Phyllis Wise and Provost Adesida Illesanmi.
2) One of Wilson’s main goals going forward is to restore trust among the campus community.
“Even some of our students, I think, have lost trust in what we’re all about here,” Wilson said during her opening remarks Monday.
3) The creation of the CarleIllinois College of Medicine is “moving forward forcefully and actively,” Wilson said.
A dean search is ready to be launched and the University is working on a number of research agreements with Carle Foundation. The agreements need to be signed by the end of October.
4) If a “passionate donor” comes forward, the name of the Carle-Illinois College of Medicine could return to the senate to vote on a name change.
The University hopes to enroll its first class by 2017 and Carle Foundation donated $1 million.
5) University administrators are still waiting on the state to decide FY16 appropriations for the University.
“We do need to get the word out about the value of higher education in this state,” Wilson said. “We’ve been a little quiet on that and I think we can do better.”
6) President Timothy Killeen and Wilson plan to meet with local chapter members of the American Association of University Professors.
They hope to discuss how the University can work toward being removed from the censure list for violating academic freedom after the rejected appointment of Steven Salaita.
University of Illinois police are investigating two different cases as arson for fires set within one week in Wardall Hall. A Campus Safety Notice was issued Monday morning to alert the campus community of the fire set in the University Housing dorm, located at 1010 West
The Senate Executive Committee proposed the process, which involves a committee of faculty and staff members who will consult with an external search firm.
8) Biographies for all chancellor candidates nominations will be presented to the entire Academic Senate for review. Killeen said he is very dedicated to being transparent with the search.
9) The Academic Senate supported a resolution to urge the Board of Trustees to postpone the implementation of a new background check policy. The policy was approved at the board’s Sept. 10 meeting.
10) Wilson said “it’s really not up to me” on the employment of Salaita. Wilson was asked on her opinion by Bruce Levine, history professor. Salaita is still suing the University.
COMPILED BY ABIGALE SVOBODA
BY ABIGALE SVOBODA NEWS EDITOR
The newly approved background check policy is expected to be implemented in less than two weeks, but the Academic Senate might put it on hold. Teresa Barnes, professor of history, presented a resolution at the Academic Senate meeting Monday asking the senate to urge the Board to postpone the implementation of the new background check policy. Following Barnes’ presentation and discussion, the senate voted in support of the resolution and will ask the Board to postpone implementing the policy. The policy is set to go into effect Oct. 5 and would require all new University hires to undergo a back-
ground check before beginning work at the University. Only those offered a job would be required to complete a background check and can choose to opt out. Barnes argued there is no appeal process in the implementation of the policy, but Abbas Benmamoun, vice provost for faculty affairs and academic policies, said hires whose background checks return a “hit” have the opportunity to submit reference letters and other explanations from family, friends, ministers, probation officers and others. “(The letters) are from people who know you and can vouch for you,” he said. He added the policy was created to best balance safety for the campus community and fairness to new
For more updates of what happened at Monday’s meeting, see SENATE | 3A
Champaign Police look to add Tasers to belt
UIPD to look into possible arson DAILY ILLINI STAFF REPORT
7) The Academic Senate agreed upon a process for selecting the next chancellor for Urbana.
Academic Senate urges board to delay background checks
BY AARON NAVARRO CONTRIBUTING WRITER
PHOTO COURTESTY OF TINA KIM
Illinois Street. Police suspect the incidents are related and the fires were set intentionally, according to the notice. According to the notice, papers attached to a cork board on the eighth floor of Wardall Hall were set on fire around 9:30 p.m. Sunday. The fire was extinguished by the time the
Urbana Fire Department arrived. A similar incident occurred on the same floor of around 9:45 p.m. Monday, Sept. 14. A building resident extinguished a fire set to papers in a recycling bin. No one was injured in either incident.
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In 2004, unsteady relations between the Champaign Police Department and the community showed as a proposal from the police for Tasers was met with a hostile reaction and negativity. Eleven years later, the Champaign Police are requesting Tasers once again. This time, things are a little different. Champaign Police Chief Anthony Cobb appeared along with three other representatives from the force in front of the Champaign
City Council on Tuesday to seek approval for the department to draft an official bill for Tasers. The Champaign Police attained a 6-3 vote, giving them approval to draft a bill. Council member Clarissa Nickerson Fourman said that community attendance for the meeting was low compared to 2004, citing improved relations between the Champaign Police and the community and their work with the Champaign Community Coalition as a big reason for a calmer community response.
CPD offered several different reasons for the necessity of Tasers, but reducing officer and citizen injuries was one of their major rationales. In the presentation, the Champaign Police provided a 2009 study by the National Institute of Justice and the Police Executive Research Forum that shows how Taser implementation has affected injury numbers with departments similar to Champaign. The study found that Tasers reduce 40 percent of citizen inju-
SEE TASERS | 3A
OPINION
LIFE & CULTURE
SPORTS
SPORTS
Changing student-safety culture
One cup at a time
Illini football drops the ball
A conversation with an Illini
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Students must be proactive, as iCards don’t ensure total safety.
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