| On & Off Campus: UPI News |
| On & Off Campus: UPI |
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Oct. 20, 2001
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UPI House of Delegates Resolution WHEREAS research/creative activities support and enable effective teaching; and WHEREAS research opportunities encourage all faculty and academic support staff to remain actively engaged in the production and dissemination of knowledge; and WHEREAS active research provides opportunities for faculty to mentor undergraduate and graduate students in their research projects; and WHEREAS opportunities to conduct academic research promote recruitment and retention of high-quality students and faculty, enhancing the reputation of public universities; BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED THAT UPI encourages the IFT, IBHE, State Legislature, and Governor to adequately fund and support research activities for students, faculty and academic support staff at Illinois comprehensive public universities through release time, appropriate teaching loads, research grants, faculty development, and other opportunities which enhance teaching and promote a high-quality academic environment. UPI House of Delegates Resolution WHEREAS: The State of Illinois bears a recognized responsibility to provide its citizens higher education that is excellent, affordable, and accessible; WHEREAS: In recognition of this responsibility, the State of Illinois has established a system of public universities; WHEREAS: The State of Illinois ranks among the ten wealthiest states of the United States in terms of personal income and other indices of a state's capacity to fund public programs; WHEREAS: Spending per student in Illinois private institutions of higher learning ranks seventh in the nation, a ranking consistent with the resources of the state; WHEREAS: Spending per student in Illinois public colleges and universities ranks forty- seventh in the nation, a ranking inconsistent with the resources and needs of the state; WHEREAS: The demonstrated and chronic underfunding of public colleges and universities threatens the quality of education available to citizens of Illinois; WHEREAS: The inadequate state support for public higher education in Illinois occurs even as the State of Illinois provides substantial support for non-public institutions; WHEREAS: Under the current Illinois Monetary Award Program (IMAP), students attending non-public institutions qualify for awards based on tuition figures which are not adjusted to reflect the financial aid granted by those institutions; WHEREAS: Students attending public institutions receive grants based on controlled and accurately-reported tuition rates, and are , therefore, less likely to qualify for full awards than students at private institutions. BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED THAT: University Professionals of Illinois call upon the Legislature of the State to institute and implement legislation to redress the funding inequities between public and private institutions of higher education in Illinois; AND SPECIFICALLY BE IT RESOLVED THAT: The State Legislature shall require that eligibility for need-based grants awarded to university and college students through the Illinois Monetary Award Program (IMAP) be calculated by some equitable method that does not disadvantage students at public colleges and universities. UPI House of Delegates Resolution WHEREAS support for technology infrastructure, maintenance, and development is necessary for the effective use of technology in classroom teaching and research; and WHEREAS support for technology infrastructure, maintenance, and development is critical to the recruitment and retention of both faculty and students in the Illinois public higher education system; and WHEREAS maintenance of technology and infrastructure is critical to the success of Web-based and Web-enhanced courses; and WHEREAS the university must maintain a reasonable proportion of both educational support and technological access for all students; BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED THAT UPI calls on the IFT, the IBHE, the state legislature, the Governor's office, and other relevant State of Illinois agencies to support adequate funding for and provision of fully trained technical personnel to maintain and support on-going adaptation and use of emerging technology for the faculty and academic staff in teaching, research, and service in Illinois institutions of higher learning; and be it further RESOLVED; That this support be administered in accordance with the needs and desires of faculty and staff. UPI House of Delegates Resolution WHEREAS, Within six months of being hired and being vested in the State Retirement System (SURS), employees must select one of three proferred retirement plans, the Traditional Benefit Package, a Portable Benefit Package or the Self-Managed Plan; and WHEREAS, Individual retiree needs may change over the years of employment; and WHEREAS, These changes in the employee's situation may necessitate a change in the employee's choice of his/her retirement package; and WHEREAS, At the present there is no provision for the employee to be able to make these retirement package changes; therefore be it RESOLVED, That UPI work with its affiliated organizations, the IFT and the ISFL, to urge SURS to create language that would permit employees to review their retirement plans every five years or following a significant life-style change and make the necessary changes in their choice of retirement options. UPI House of Delegates Resolution WHEREAS Annually Contracted Faculty contribute dedicated teaching on an on-going basis to the university community; and WHEREAS dedicated teaching by Annually Contracted Faculty results in accumulated expertise which is critical to the success of educational endeavors at Illinois public universities; and WHEREAS some Annually Contracted Faculty who have taught at the university for many years lose their health insurance during the summer; and WHEREAS the perceived lack of commitment to Annually Contracted Faculty on the part of the university causes serious morale problems; and WHEREAS the university generates more good will and provides a more conducive educational environment through equitable treatment of Annually Contracted Faculty; BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED THAT UPI calls upon IFT, the IBHE, the state legislature, the Governor's office, and other relevant State of Illinois agencies to encourage multiple-year contracts for Annually Contracted Faculty. UPI House of Delegates Resolution WHEREAS: The terrorist attacks of September 11 have taken a terrible toll on our nation and its citizens. And, WHEREAS: Thousands of lives were wasted and billions of dollars are being budgeted for relief. And, WHEREAS: Amongst the lives lost were those of thousands of union members and those of emergency rescue workers. The unions suffering major losses were the Service Employees, American Federation of Government Employees, Hotel and Restaurant Employees Laborers and Steamfitters. And, WHEREAS: Members of the American Federation of Teachers also suffered tragic losses amongst its membership. 40 members of the AFT affiliate, the New York State Public Employees Federation, who worked in the Trade Center are missing. Teachers and students from Washington DC were in the plane that crashed into the Pentagon. Many AFT members had members of their families taken from them. And, WHEREAS: Because of the need for immediate and long term help, the American Federation of Teachers has created the AFT Recovery Fund to provide assistance. AFT President Sandra Feldman has stated that, "This fund will be used primarily to assist AFT members and their families by sharing in their unbearable burden. In addition, we will support efforts that are under way to assist victims, rescue personnel and others in need." Therefore, be it RESOLVED: That the University Professionals of Illinois encourage its members to contribute to the AFT Recovery Fund at 555 New Jersey Avenue N.W, Washington DC 20001, and be it finally, RESOLVED: That the University Professionals of Illinois make a contribution of $1000 to the AFT Recovery Fund. UPI House of Delegates Resolution WHEREAS: Earlier this year, the President signed legislation which revamped the tax code creating major tax cuts for many Americans in the upper income brackets. And, WHEREAS: UPI and its national affiliate the American Federation of Teachers opposed these tax cuts when they were being enacted because it was felt that they would cause cuts in many vital governmental social, economic and educational services. And, WHEREAS: The tragic terrorist attacks of September 11 will require major investments in new programs. These new investments will cause major changes in the federal budgets. Congress has already appropriated $55 Billion as an initial expenditure to deal with questions of national security. And, WHEREAS: UPI and many national and state unions have joined a coalition called First Things First. This coalition has advocated that no cuts in taxes for the wealthy be made until Social Security and Medicare's solvency is extended and our schools receive the appropriate funding. Therefore, be it RESOLVED: That UPI urge Congress and others to favor a moratorium on parts of the recently enacted tax cuts until the solvency of social security and Medicare is guaranteed and federal funding of education receive an appropriate level of funding from the federal government. And be it, finally RESOLVED: UPI support the First Things First Bill being introduced in Congress that would postpone the tax cuts for the upper level of tax payers and place a cap on the waiving of the estate tax. UPI House of Delegates Resolution WHEREAS, it is the goal of the University to promote quality and effectiveness of education in all areas of instruction; and WHEREAS, the service of non-tenure track faculty (both full-time and part-time) contribute greatly to the overall effectiveness of teaching and student achievement; and, WHEREAS, committed service and long-term employment opportunities Enhance faculty interaction with students, other faculty, and staff; and WHEREAS, some non-tenure track faculty teach for many years in the same department; and, WHEREAS, evaluation of non-tenure track faculty is contractually mandated; and, WHEREAS, neither ASPs, civil service employees, nor administrators are hired on a semester-by-semester basis; THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that UPI shall continue to fight for fair employment practices for all and long-term contracts for non-tenure track faculty with three or more years of service at the same institution. UPI House of Delegates Resolution WHEREAS: The State of Illinois bears a recognized responsibility to provide its citizens higher education that is excellent, affordable, and accessible; WHEREAS: In recognition of this responsibility, the State of Illinois has established a system of public universities; WHEREAS: The State of Illinois ranks among the ten wealthiest states of the United States in terms of personal income and other indices of a state's capacity to fund public programs; WHEREAS: Spending per student in Illinois private institutions of higher learning ranks seventh in the nation, a ranking consistent with the resources of the state; WHEREAS: Spending per student in Illinois public colleges and universities ranks forty-seventh in the nation, a ranking inconsistent with the resources and needs of the state; WHEREAS: The demonstrated and chronic underfunding of public colleges and universities threatens the quality of education available to citizens of Illinois; WHEREAS: The inadequate state support for public higher education in Illinois occurs even as the State of Illinois provides substantial support for non-public institutions; WHEREAS: This year the state legislature appropriated substantial capital development funding to private colleges and universities around the state, while many important capital and deferred maintenance projects at public institutions were left unfunded; BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED THAT: University Professionals of Illinois call upon the Legislature of the State to institute and implement legislation to redress the funding inequities between public and private institutions of higher education in Illinois; AND SPECIFICALLY BE IT RESOLVED THAT: The State Legislature shall suspend the funding of capital development projects at non-public institutions until such time as necessary deferred maintenance and needed capital development projects shall have been funded and carried out at the public higher education institutions of the State of Illinois. UPI House of Delegates Resolution WHEREAS: That some university administrations have been attempting to institute institute a post-tenure review process or to repeal tenure outright. And WHEREAS: The success of those efforts would seriously threaten the freedom of faculty members to teach, perform research, and speak out on topics that offend or simply do not interest the administration. Therefore be it RESOLVED: That all UPI bargaining teams be urged to refuse all efforts by administration representatives to open negotiations that might further erode the freedoms safeguarded by tenure. |
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