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alton — east st. louis — edwardsville
vol. LXIX no. XXIX
Chancellor says SIUE will likely break even next year
TRENT STUART Alestle Reporter
Chancellor Randy Pembrook addressed the school and state’s financial situation in a Q&A session with faculty and staff Feb. 23. He said the university will at least be able to break even next year if the state budgets is anything over 80 percent of the 2014/2015 budget. Pembrook used the 20142015 figures to compare to next year’s potential budget because that was the last school year that SIUE had a state-funded budget at the beginning of the year. He explained if next year’s budget is over 80 percent of the one from 2014-2015, the school will be able to invest the additional money in a way that is yet to be determined. The administration has been having conversations with the state government offices, and according to Pembrook, the state senate may take a vote about the budget soon. “If they ratify anything that is above 80 percent, we should actually be in good shape,” Pembrook said. Regardless, Pembrook said
students should not have to worry about the university running out of money even if there is not a budget approved. “We have a multi-year plan, so students don’t have to worry about that. But it would be nice to think that we have enough money that we can start investing strategically in things because that’ll be a great conversation for students,” Pe m b ro o k said. There was also some discussion about how much of the budget may be based on performance-based metrics. According to dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, Greg Budzban, who asked about metrics during the meeting, these metrics are based on what the state calls academic success. The state has recently increased the amount of their bud-
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gets based on metrics from 0.5 percent to 5 percent. Budzban said he is not opposed to this, but he is concerned that the state is comparing SIUE to other schools, such as University of Illinois, that have a much different pool of stu-
Family Friendly Restroom Pembrook and Interim Vice Chancellor for Administration Rich Walker also addressed President Trump’s recent transgender executive order. Walker summarized Trump’s transgender executive order and said the university’s policies involving transgender students and faculty will not change. “What the executive order did was simply repeal the requirement RANDY PEMBROOK for federal protecChancellor tion, and left that up to states and dents. Rather, he said the state local schools to impose. We don’t should be looking at how much plan on changing our policy,” value each university is adding for Walker said. their students. Walker also talked about the “We have to get in touch with university’s effort of incorporatthe committees and the legisla- ing family-friendly restrooms in tures that are working on this and campus buildings to further be make sure that they understand inclusive of transgender students how complex the issue is and that and others who may need to take the appropriate measures are put advantage of the gender-neutral in place,” Budzban said. restrooms. Some buildings on
We have another multi-year plan so students don’t have to worry about that.
campus already include them, and they will continue to be included in new buildings and renovations in the future. There will be a family-friendly restroom in the addition of the Engineering building, and, according to Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Jeffrey Waple, the Vadalabene Center will be opening one after spring break. “We will continue to support our transgender students, and we will continue to keep that as a requirement in our facilities as we move forward, until told differently,” Walker said. Pembrook said he holds these types of meetings to find out what people are most concerned about and inform people of where administration stands on various topics. “As long as people are coming, as long as they are engaged in this process, I’m more than happy to do it,” Pembrook said. Contact TRENT STUART Call 650-3530 Tweet @tstuart_alestle Email tstuart@alestlelive.com
‘Speakout: Lift every voice’ Cobb
new provost
Panel provides feedback on social issues MIRANDA LINTZENICH Alestle Reporter With Black Heritage Month coming to an end, Campus Activities Board hosted an open forum Feb. 23, in which students could discuss social issues, including what the black power fist meant to them, the Black Lives Matter movement and black history in general. CAB President and senior exercise science major Rachael Walker, of Aurora, was among those on the committee who planned the questions to start off the night. This was the first year the executive board had taken on the position of engaging topics and issues. “We felt like it was necessary to have an open forum during Black Heritage Month,” Walker said. “Students have needed to have that conversation, and we are supposed to have monthly open forums, so it just made sense.” The first and second questions asked were in regard to what the black power fist meant to each of the panel members and the history of it, to which junior psychology major Dominique Davis, of Oak Forest, responded with background information. “To me, the black power fist means defiance. I said defiance because it is both resistance and initially started with two black athletes at the 1968 olympics and during the National Anthem, instead of putting their hands over their heart, they rose their fists,” Davis said. According to historical studies assistant professor Jessica Harris, by doing so, the pair of athletes drew attention to human rights issues and how black athletes were treated at the time, as well as showing how their plight as black athletes was connected to
KENDRA MARTIN Managing Editor
Left, junior psychology major Dominique Davis, of Oak Forest, coordinator for Transition Programs and Outreach Tarsha Moore and Assistant Professor for Historical Studies Jessica Harris speak about the black power fist Feb. 23, during the Speak Out: Lift Every Voice open forum event hosted by the Campus Activities Board in the Morris University Center Redbud Oak Room. | Allison Gregory / Alestle
the plight of other people of color and oppressed individuals around the world. Harris said it is important to see the fist as a larger commentary of power in resistance against oppression. “I think the fist means simply pulling through as a people and strength,” sophomore business major Amber McCall, of Chicago, said. “It’s about simply everything we’ve been through. Throwing up the fist is letting you know that we are still here and that we still have got a ways to go.” For Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Program Coordinator Tarsha Moore, the black power fist is a symbol of solidarity and what it represents as a whole. “When we think about what solidarity means, it means power,” Moore said. “Power in numbers. So to clench the fist, it is to bring all five of your fingers together to make a force. It means power from the force of unity.”
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Another question referred to the time it took to design the BHM shirts containing a fist symbol and getting them approved. In the beginning of the process, there was some difficulty in regard to getting the original design approved, according to the panel. At first there were claims that the black power fist would incite riots, to which the panel argued that these claims were ignorant and linked to common misconceptions. Although Harris was not aware of the controversy, she said that when dealing with such a historical symbol, professors at SIUE could have provided context into the matter. “In terms of why the fist itself relates to black power has been so controversial is because there have been a lot of misnomers about what black power actually was,” Harris said. “A good thing about it is that you have people that dedicate their lives to researching
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those types of questions and can provide answers. Just in terms of what black power was, if you want to get at the heart of the definition, you go and look at Stokely Carmichael wrote an essay about black power that was published in the New York Times, in 1966, where he actually defines what it is.” Harris referenced the passing of the Civil Rights Act in 1964 and stated when everything was over and African-Americans became first-class citizens, people thought all of the issues revolving around segregation were solved. However, class issues, deplorable housing conditions and a lack of employment opportunities were some of the many problems on her list that showed that to be false. Moore said showing what black power means and educating each other was the whole point of the academic setting.
The Alestle
PANEL | pg. 2
After multiple candidate presentations and an extensive process of selecting a candidate, March 1, Denise Cobb has accepted the position of provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs. Cobb has served as the interim provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs since December of 2015. She has been recognized for her extensive knowledge of the university and her commitment to maintaining positive relationships within the SIUE community and figuring out solutions to the budget situation. She will begin her tenure as provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs starting May 1, 2017. Contact KENDRA MARTIN Call 650-3527 Tweet @kmartin_alestle Email kmartin@alestlelive.com
Have a happy and safe spring break. We will not have a print edition next week.
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