CFA Responds to the Salaita Settlement

CFA is happy Steven Salaita has accepted the settlement approved by the Board of Trustees. Compensating Dr. Salaita, however, is only a first step. Two major concerns remain unresolved. First, the damage inflicted on the American Indian Studies Program must be made good. We call upon Chancellor Wilson and Dean Ross of the College ofContinue reading “CFA Responds to the Salaita Settlement”

Where Were You Living Forty Years Ago? My Experience With Background Checks

By a UIUC Faculty Member It is with some dismay that I see that the Board of Trustees has adopted a policy of background checks for all new faculty at the University of Illinois. In order to take advantage of a fellowship opportunity at another academic institution, I recently had to submit to four backgroundContinue reading “Where Were You Living Forty Years Ago? My Experience With Background Checks”

Fortyone heads of departments and programs at the U of Illinois call for the reinstatement of Steven Salaita

Fortyone chairs, heads, and directors of campus units are calling on President Killeen and Interim Chancellor Wilson to recommend to the Board of Trustees that they reverse their previous decision and reinstate Dr. Salaita at the next board meeting in September. Read the full statement at the Academe Blog! Here is the list of signatories: JamesContinue reading “Fortyone heads of departments and programs at the U of Illinois call for the reinstatement of Steven Salaita”

Call for Release of Complete Information about the Scandal

We applaud the spirit of President Killeen’s massmail to campus (August 13). Faculty members also wish to move forward. But we must move forward with justice. President Killeen should follow the recommendation of the Committee on Academic Freedom and Tenure, as endorsed by the Academic Senate, and remand Dr. Steven Salaita’s case to a committeeContinue reading “Call for Release of Complete Information about the Scandal”

CAFT Report on the Steven Salaita Case: Serious Violations of Shared Governance and Due Process

The report of the Committee of Academic Freedom and Tenure (CAFT) on the Steven Salaita case has been made public. As the Campus Faculty Association has been saying since early August, the treatment of Professor Salaita was a serious violation of due process. With the CAFT report, the University of Illinois faculty as whole standsContinue reading “CAFT Report on the Steven Salaita Case: Serious Violations of Shared Governance and Due Process”

Where We Are Now

Dear CFA Members and supporters: As the end of the semester draws near, and after three turbulent months, CFA wants to reflect on where we as a faculty are now, and how a faculty union could make a difference.   We face the following persistent problems. Board of Trustees (BOT) Overreach:  In the last year, theContinue reading “Where We Are Now”

Academic Freedom and the Board of Trustees at the University of Illinois: A Historical Perspective

by Belden Fields At the IPRH panel on “Academic Freedom and Free Speech across Disciplines” held at the Beckman Institute on Monday, September 29, one of the panelists Prof. Colleen Murphy said that the faculty’s effort now must be to see that the way Professor Steven Salaita was treated by the university never happens again.Continue reading “Academic Freedom and the Board of Trustees at the University of Illinois: A Historical Perspective”

Dear Alma: A New Ethics Test?

Dear Alma, Been feeling down in the dumps, so I went back to the dumpsters. Found a new ethics question that the state’s consulting firm has sent for approval. Pressure from a Supervisor:  Lilith is the Chancellor of a University campus. Her supervisor, Mistopher, is appointed by the Governor. One day Lilith overhears Mistopher makingContinue reading “Dear Alma: A New Ethics Test?”

CFA Statement Regarding Calls to Boycott the University of Illinois

September 1, 2014 The Campus Faculty Association is not involved in the boycott movement against the University of Illinois. We feel it is a matter of individual conscience for faculty members around the world to consider, and we respect the different decisions which individuals may reach. We do believe strongly, and have stated publicly, thatContinue reading “CFA Statement Regarding Calls to Boycott the University of Illinois”

Meet Us at the Alma Mater, Noon, Thursday, September 11

Dear Colleagues, As you know, UIUC faces an unprecedented crisis of academic freedom and shared governance. At the same time, our non-tenure-track colleagues are facing frozen wages and an unwillingness to bargain, while clerical staff on campus are battling the destruction of their collective bargaining agreement. Clearly, the Board of Trustees and Chancellor Wise areContinue reading “Meet Us at the Alma Mater, Noon, Thursday, September 11”