The Urbana-Champaign Senate held its first meeting of the semester Monday afternoon, convening at the Levis Faculty Center to discuss wide-ranging issues such as the Chief Illiniwek decision and President B. Joseph White’s Global Campus Partnership.

The meeting began with a series of congratulations, notably for President White’s receipt of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Excellence in Leadership Award, and for a BP grant Chancellor Richard Herman helped bring to the University.

Administrators and Senate officials also welcomed a visiting group of delegates from a college in China who were in attendance to observe the proceedings.

Officials then expressed thanks to the Board of Trustees for Friday’s decision to remove the controversial Chief Illiniwek, calling the move “courageous” and lauding the body’s willingness to move forward.

“This should build confidence in us as an institution,” White said of the board’s action. “It shows that we’re not paralyzed, that we can make tough decisions.”

Several administrators then discussed the problems posed by this year’s upcoming Unofficial St. Patrick’s Day, asking Student Senate members and other leaders to step up and assume roles of responsibility in encouraging classmates to respect themselves and each other.

“My worry is about the safety of students, and the fact that this is becoming a Mecca for people to come from all over the place and celebrate,” Herman told the assembled crowd. “That’s not the type of reputation we want at all.”

Among the items that came up for action were several committee appointments and nominations, all of which passed without discussion.

Immediately afterward, three academic calendars were formally approved that had been assembled according to guidelines laid down in previous senate legislation. Although there was some discussion, these calendars passed without amendment.

Finally, White’s Global Campus Partnership came up for discussion, and many faculty members weighed in and questioned the University president about various aspects of the plan.

White addressed each question and comment in turn, taking several items under advisement for future revisions of the plan.

“The Global Campus Partnership is about three things,” he said. “Mission, mastery and money, in that order.”

The legislation up for action consisted of a heavily amended document intended to provide the Board of Trustees with a recommended course of action when they examine the initiative at their March 8 meeting.

Since White first proposed the Global Campus, many significant changes and compromises have been made in conjunction with faculty and staff input.

After a lengthy question-and-answer session, the measure passed unanimously and will be taken under advisement by the Board of Trustees.

U-C Senate meetings are held monthly on the third floor of the Levis Faculty Center in Urbana. More information can be accessed through the University’s Web site.