Illini of the Week: Cruickshank serves as hockey team’s main source of offense PAGE 1B WEDNESDAY October 21, 2015
THE DAILY ILLINI The independent student newspaper at the University of Illinois since 1871
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Vol. 145 Issue 36
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Students voice opinions on budget cuts BY CHRISTIN WATKINS STAFF WRITER
Over 250 Illinois college students chanted “cuts mean us” when they arrived in Springfield on Tuesday to advocate for students and budget solutions fund higher education. The students visited the state capital in hopes of making legislators aware of the negative impact the state’s proposed 31.5 percent cut on higher education would have. The lobby day, formally known as “Crisis Advocacy Day,” focused on advocating to student’s home district legislators about the importance of higher education and the effect losing MAP Grants has on students. More than 60 University students made the trip, according to a press release from the Illinois Student Senate, ISS. Approximately 130,000 Illinois students are at risk of losing MAP grants and more than 916,000 students are potentially affected by higher education cuts, according to ISS. The state’s budget was supposed to be finalized by July 1, causing universities to scramble without a finalized budget. State Sen. Chapin Rose, R-51, said he’s aware of the
repercussions students are facing. Higher education budget cuts are an important issue, but it isn’t something that can be solved right away, he said. “These court orders have prioritized everyone ahead of (higher education),” he said. “To some extent, for good reason.” State Rep. Carol Ammons, D-103, said she fully supports higher education funding and believes students are key to making changes happen. She said students have a responsibility to call on legislators to place focus on creating a budget. The governor’s lack of support places representatives in a difficult position, Ammons said. “We’re in a political climate where you have this tyrannical governor who’s putting his thumb on all of these (representatives),” she said. “They have to stand for the people and not for the governor.” ISS Vice PresidentExternal Matt Hill said the students’ goal is to stress that higher education is an investment in the state. “College education provides people for the capacity and the ability to get a job that is going to contribute to Illinois’s
SEE LOBBY | 3A
CHRISTIN WATKINS THE DAILY ILLINI
University students joined over 200 other students from colleges across Illinois to advocate for higher education funding in Springfield on Tuesday. The students were joined by legislators and University officials, including President Timothy Killeen.
Local AAUP chapter discusses censure Chapter talks Salaita’s dismissal, background checks BY VIVIENNE HENNING STAFF WRITER
The Champaign-Urbana chapter of the American Association of University Professors, AAUP, held a panel headed by chapter President Harry Hilton on Tuesday addressing the University’s AAUP censure and the implementa-
Undecided state budget could affect 911 calls BY DIXITA LIMBACHIA STAFF WRITER
The lack of a state budget has put current 911 call procedures in jeopardy. Emergency calls are funded through state taxes. The funds are available but cannot be spent without an approved state budget. As a result, 911 call centers are dipping into their own reserves because they haven’t been paid by the state. This has caused layoffs, leaving fewer people available to answer 911 calls which means longer wait times. Ralph Caldwell, director of METCAD in Champaign County, said once they pass the budget, the money will be available to be spent on state services. “They don’t have the appropriations and the abilities to pay the budget,” Caldwell said. Caldwell said there are time constraints related to decisions made surrounding 911 calls. He said some state senators could push the state to take out loans while others might live out of their reserves; other senators have a capital plan to replace equipment. It depends on the dispatch center the financial stability to determine the duration of the budget as it continues on. The undecided budget affects every dispatch center in Illinois. Champaign County has one dispatch center, and a vast majority of emergency calls are made by students. Kevin Murphy, freshman
RYAN FANG THE DAILY ILLINI
David O’Brien, Art History chair, speaks at the UI chapter meeting of the American Association of University Professors Tuesday. tion of background checks on prospective faculty applicants. One of the panelists, David O’Brien, associate professor of art history, detailed the steps the University would have to take to be removed from the AAUP’s censure list. “The AAUP only goes
through three steps in order to remove an institution from its censure list. They check the policies that had led to censure had been revised, they check if the agreed faculty members have received regress, and they send someone to the University to verify that conditions
there merit the lifting of censure,” O’Brien said. But to be removed from the censure list, he said the University must admit wrongdoing in its handling of Steven Salaita’s hiring. “First, the chancellor, president and trustees
SEE AAUP | 3A
UI aims to be carbon-neutral by 2050 DAILY ILLINI STAFF REPORT
Interim Chancellor Barbara Wilson informed the campus community of the University’s commitment to the 2015 Illinois Climate Action Plan, iCAP, in a University Massmail Tuesday. iCAP reaffirms the University’s goal to become carbon-neutral by 2050, with the possibility of reaching the goal early, in 2035. The University originally signed the American College and Univer-
sity Presidents’ Climate Commitment, ACUPCC, in 2008. The plan is a national effort to to unite higher education establishments to pledge to take action on climate change. iCAP is the University’s specific plan in accordance with ACUPCC. “This plan requires the dedicated and sustained efforts of our faculty, students and staff to identify and implement the best sustainability solutions for our campus,” Wilson said in the
Massmail. She also explained how iCAP will require strategic up-front investments that will save money in the long run. “Given the current budget uncertainty, we have a responsibility to carefully weigh the costs and benefits of any solutions,” Wilson said. “But we must consider all of our options.” Wilson said the goal of iCAP is to help alleviate climate change and make cam-
OPINION
pus members better attendants of the environment. She also invited students and faculty to come to an iCAP forum. The forum will be held Wednesday at 1 p.m. in the Illini Union Room A. “We intend to serve as a model for campuses and communities around the world, while educating the next generation of sustainability leaders,” Wilson said.
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in Business, seemed concerned how 911 calls could be affected. “I understand budget cuts and why we need them, but something like 911 calls — that’s the safety of people,” Murphy said. “Knowing that this is such a big area there so many students and there’s going to crimes like theft and sexual assaults so we’re concerned about our safety if contacting 911 is an issue.” Lauren Taylor, freshman in LAS, and Allison Wheeler, freshman in LAS, both agreed on the lack of the state legislation to create a budget. “It’s very irresponsible to let our budget get to a bad place where we even have to concern ourselves with this (911 calls),” Taylor said. However, Caldwell wanted to emphasis that despite this setback, the state is sitting on a backup plan while waiting for the budget to pass. “Most likely people won’t see a change in service for next six months to a year while we use our capital budget.”
limbach2@dailyillini.com
“They don’t have the appropriations and the abilities to pay the budget.” RAPLH CALDWELL
DIRECTOR OF METCAD
LIFE & CULTURE
SPORTS
Faculty checks needed Pedestrian vs. biker
Miles apart
Illini of the week
Finding a way to balance safety and open-mindedness at the University is crucial.
Finding a way to balance safety and open-mindedness at the University is crucial.
Finding a way to balance safety and open-mindedness at the University is crucial.
Finding a way to balance safety and open-mindedness at the University is crucial.
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