Academic Senate passes two environmental sustainability-driven resolutions
By Megan Jones
April 4, 2016
Athena, a 9-month-old infant, was in attendance at Beyond Coal’s rally Monday. While she couldn’t speak words or even hold a poster in support of divesting from coal, she represented something bigger — the future. Joe Edwards, co-president of Beyond Coal and Athena’s father, said his daugh...
Student resolution urges University to divest from coal
By Megan Jones
March 30, 2016
After years of pushing for the University to divest its $5.1 million investment in coal holdings, a student-led resolution will be voted on by the Academic Senate on Monday.The resolution calls on the University of Illinois Board of Trustees to divest from coal operators and mining companies. This is not...
Committee expresses concern about AP score policy
By Claire Textor
March 1, 2016
When Matthew Rice was a senior at Adlai E. Stevenson High School in Lincolnshire, Illinois, as a member of the Political Action Club, he was tasked with determining why students chose out of state schools as opposed to those in Illinois.In August, state legislators passed a bill requiring colleges t...
Students, faculty push for revised general education requirements
February 4, 2016
Some students at the University want to ensure their fellow classmates graduate with a better understanding of minorities and non-western experiences.Currently, each student must take a Western/Comparative Culture(s) course, and either a Non-Western or U.S. Minority course. A proposed resolution would require undergradua...
Honorary degrees highlight field leaders
January 28, 2016
At graduation each year, thousands of students are awarded for their years of hard work with a diploma. But students aren’t the only ones recognized on that day. Since 1891, the University has awarded honorary degrees to people who have done exceptional work in their specific fields.The list of nomine...
Academic Senate passes resolution on background checks
By Christin Watkins
December 8, 2015
A vote by the Academic Senate on Monday urged change in the background check policy that has been a concern since the Board of Trustees postponed its implementation in October.In a 55 to 35 vote, members of the senate passed a resolution proposing that all University employees should be required to comp...
Academic senate discusses new procedures for faculty appointments
By Christin Watkins
November 16, 2015
The academic senate discussed a new system for reviewing tenured faculty appointments at its meeting Monday evening.The Committee on University Statutes and Senate Procedures recommended that the Board of Trustees delegate its responsibility of reviewing tenured faculty appointments to the president...
Open Access policy makes faculty research available
By Christin Watkins
November 11, 2015
The Academic Senate voted in October to “open access” to the University’s research and allow members of the public to view faculty research articles.The open access to research policy will only apply to journal articles published after the policy goes into effect. Faculty members will send to the ...
UI to add new sustainability minor
By Yi Zhang
October 21, 2015
The Institute for Sustainability, Energy and Environment will be getting final approval in November on a campus wide minor program called the Sustainability, Energy and Environment Fellows Program.chThis minor is different than already existing environmental minors, as it provides a much broader sen...
Background checks to be implemented soon
By Adam Kaz
October 19, 2015
Anxieties held by some faculty members about the University’s new background check procedures erupted Monday at the Academic Senate.On Nov. 1, the University will adopt the new background check procedures approved by the Board of Trustees in September. The background checks will be overseen by Gener...
Ten takeaways from the first Academic Senate meeting of the school year
September 22, 2015
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 ...
Provost search will not start until new chancellor named
By Maggie Sullivan
August 26, 2015
The search for a new provost to replace Ilesanmi Adesida, who resigned Monday, will not begin until a new chancellor is named first, said Jan Dennis, assistant director for the Office for University Relations. “It’s important the new chancellor have input into the decision of provost, because the...
