Our Weekly Reader, November 4, 2012
1. The big story this week is the ongoing GEO situation. The last information posted at http://www.uigeo.org/ is dated October 20. Based on coverage, the DI seems to think this is a much more important story than the News-Gazette. For a math grad student’s appraisal of the situation, see
http://www.dailyillini.com/opinion/columns/article_029746e6-2184-11e2-98ff-0019bb30f31a.html
2. The News-Gazette used a somewhat scary headline to describe a somewhat scary situation, compounded by a quote using a somewhat unusual use of the term “transparent”. Don’t forget to read the comments.
http://www.news-gazette.com/news/education/2012-11-01/some-phd-programs-may-get-ax.html
Graduate College Dean Debasish Dutta declined to disclose the names of the programs before the trustee meeting.
Dutta said he believes the review, which involved an 18-member faculty committee looking at all 98 doctoral programs, was the first campuswide doctoral assessment in at least 50 years.
He called it a “thoughtful, open and transparent process.”
Probably related, from the Sunday paper.
3. The DI used FOIA to produce its annual salary guide issue, with lots of articles within.
http://www.dailyillini.com/salary_guide/
4. More notes on the ongoing online education conversation:
http://www.dailyillini.com/news/campus/article_382d128c-2250-11e2-926c-001a4bcf6878.html
5. Other UI stories from the News-Gazette
6. Labor news from Champaign County
E-Summary Highlights
10/29 pp. 1-2 (Crain’s) Just how real is Silicon Prairie 2.0?
10/29 pp. 5-6 (NG) China branch, see above.
10/29 p. 8 (DI) Salary guide and editorials, see above
10/29 pp.17-18 (Springfield SJ-R) “College Illinois reopens to investments”
10/29 p.19 (NG) John Kindt’s anti-49 commentary
10/29 pp.21-23 (Chronicle) “AAUP rethinks its guidelines on faculty layoffs”
10/30 pp.1-2 (NG) Vice president / chancellor name reversal, see above
10/30 pp.7-8 (DI) Coursera concerns, see above
10/30 pp.14-15 (Trib) On Amendment 49
10/30 pp.29-31 (Trib) CTU sues over pension change for teachers who become union officials
10/31 pp.1-2 (Medill, Northwestern) “Possible effects of affirmative action case vary by university”
11/1 pp.1-2 (NG) Some PhD programs may get ax”, see above
11/1 pp.11-14 (Chron) “3 to 1: that’s the best ratio of tenure-track faculty to administrators, a study concludes” Interesting quote: “If an adminstrator disappeared, no one would notice for a year or two,” he said. “They would assume they were all on retreat, whereas a missing professor is noticed right away.”
11/1 pp,17-20 (NYT) “Technology changing how students learn, teachers say”
12/2 pp.7-8 (NG) “Conference looks at UI’s role as online courses evolve”, see above
12/2 p.11 (DI) “Student senator proposes inclusive integrity statement”.
Campus Faculty Association 