Comments for Campus Faculty Association

Comment on In defense of Prof. Rochelle Gutierrez by Attack on Rochelle Gutiérrez – Math Ed Collective

Attack on Rochelle Gutiérrez – Math Ed Collective — Wed, 15 Aug 2018 22:51:24 +0000

[…] Campus Faculty Association at The University of Illinois writes a long post in defense of Dr. […]

Comment on In defense of Prof. Rochelle Gutierrez by The Attack on Equity Mathematics Education Scholars and the #IStandWithRochelle Movement, So Far – Equity Mathematics Education

Mon, 22 Jan 2018 04:26:51 +0000

[…] Campus Faculty Association at The University of Illinois writes a long post in defense of Dr. […]

Comment on People Are Corporations, My Friend by Mark Leff

Mark Leff — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 03:23:30 +0000

People are corporations too, my friend! Other political commentaries were never quite like this.

Comment on CFA Responds to President Easter’s Pension Proposal by Jim Barrett

Jim Barrett — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 17:38:46 +0000

Joyce and Nick,

I’m keeping up the best I can here, but between you two are keeping me pretty busy! Joyce, I have now see your April USC 2013 report, which we just received from the senate office, and I see it confirms that the USC has NOT endorsed the specifics in the IGPA proposal. I am glad too see that but sorry to see President Easter HAS endorsed the proposal, including the 2 % reduction of pay that will be required to increase our contributions to the system. This is not an attack, just a disagreement with his position, and I believe it is a disagreement is in the interests of our faculty. I’d like always to be careful, Nick, but I am not sure exactly what else to call it when 2% of our salary would be deducted to cover the increased contribution required because the state did not meet their obligations to us.

Comment on CFA Responds to President Easter’s Pension Proposal by Joyce Tolliver

Joyce Tolliver — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 14:19:19 +0000

Jim, I am glad to clear up your confusion.
The document you are referring to, which is my report to the Senate of the August 2012 USC meeting, contains a brief reference to USC’s previous support of the IGPA proposal. That support, which took the form of the April 27, 2012 statement Nick reproduces in full in his post above, references the 2012 IGPA proposal (not the current one). It expresses certain principles that must be respected in any proposal it will support. I think most reasonable people would agree that the Conference firmly defends faculty interests in the April 2012 statement. That was certainly the Conference’s intention.
As you know, IGPA has since revised its proposal. My report on the most recent USC meeting, which is included in the agenda of the upcoming Senate meeting, makes clear that the Conference has taken no stand on the current IGPA proposal. For your convenience, I am copying the relevant paragraph here:

“2. The Conference deliberated about whether to endorse the April 9, 2013 letter signed by the public university presidents and chancellors supporting the revised IGPA 6-point pension plan. Last year, the Conference wrote a letter outlining basic principles for acceptable pension reform, and endorsed the spring 2012 version of the IGPA proposal (attached as addendum). Because the matter required more careful thought and further information about the revised IGPA proposal, we postponed this decision. (The revised IGPA proposal may be found here: http://igpa.uillinois.edu/pensions).”

Comment on CFA Responds to President Easter’s Pension Proposal by Nick Burbules

Nick Burbules — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 14:12:57 +0000

Thanks Jim,

USC’s 2012 position on pension reform was strong and I am proud of it. That’s why I copied it for you here,

USC has taken no position on the latest IGPA proposal. Please don’t mix the two.

I also think that union advocates need to be careful about complaining about “2% reductions in pay.”

Comment on Visioning Future Excellence: First Reactions by Kathryn La Barre

Kathryn La Barre — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 23:07:51 +0000

Talking about investing in bold new areas that will move our campus forward entirely misses the mark if we do not also commit to creating an inclusive campus faculty and commit to overcome clear areas of underrepresentation with regard to gender, race and ethnicity. This should be an important part of the calculus of who to hire and I’m not convinced the restraint of 500 new faculty is sufficient given all of the other constraints – increasing enrollment among them.

Comment on CFA Responds to President Easter’s Pension Proposal by Jim Barrett

Jim Barrett — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 19:24:03 +0000

Nick: If I had the impression that the USC took action to support the IGPA plan, that could be because this is what Joyce’s September 2012 report to our senate says you did. I quoted Joyce’s brief report attached to our senate agenda in order to be clear: “University leaders, including the USC, have expressed their support for the Institute of Government and Public Affairs proposal on pensions.”

There are two possibilities here: It could be that the report is wrong and USC never did support the IGPA’s specific proposals, only the general principles distributed last spring. In that case President Easter endorsed the proposals without USC support. He is entitled to that because as you know, all consultation is strictly advisory. Or it could be that the report is right. The group did support the IGPA proposals but has now changed its mind and will not support the 2 % reduction in pay and the reduction in future retirement income (the COLA cuts). In any case, if the President’s public support of these cuts and transfer of the pension burden to the university reflects his consultation with USC over the past year that might return us to your own question: Is that good representation of faculty interests? A union would be part of the lobbying that has fought cuts in benefits owed to us by the state and would be a part of any future negotiations regarding our benefits.

Comment on CFA Responds to President Easter’s Pension Proposal by Visioning Future Excellence: First Reactions | Campus Faculty Association

Visioning Future Excellence: First Reactions | Campus Faculty Association — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 17:11:13 +0000

[…] a reduction of the cost of living adjustment for future retirees. (See CFA’s response here.) Until these major problems are solved, UIUC will face continued erosion of the tenure-stream […]

Comment on Signing a Mission Statement vs. A Union Card by Joyce Tolliver

Joyce Tolliver — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 14:31:03 +0000

Thanks for this thoughtful essay, Jim.
I do not see here any direct response to the five specific questions I posed. While I have always been clear about the legality of a union campaign on our campus, I am still wondering about those five issues. I think others are too.

Joyce