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SPARTANS TOP ILLINI IN REMATCH Illinois falls to Michigan State 60-53 in physical contest at home.

SPORTS, 1B

MONDAY February 23, 2015

THE DAILY ILLINI 5he independent student newspaper at the University of Illinois since 1871

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Vol. 144 Issue 81

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Winter weather challenges

Skating in sync

Students with disabilities turn to DRES for help

BY ALI BRABOY

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0RUH LQVLGH Read

our editorial for more on how the University can improve services to assist students with disabilities. Page 4A

STAFF WRITER

While some students may be complaining about the winter weather, students like Tim Nagel may face even more challenges while traveling around campus. Nagel, junior in AHS, who uses a wheelchair to get around, said there were times during the winter he would skip class because the snow would pile up. “A lot of times when they clear the roads, they push the snow up against the sidewalk, and so it blocks each end of the sidewalk. So, if I try to cross the street, snow gets piled up on both sides,” he said. Nagel came to the University three years ago from Texas because of the seven universities that offer wheel-

chair basketball, he thought the University was the best academically. He currently plays on the men’s wheelchair basketball team as a shooting guard. Meridith Bradford, junior in AHS, serves as one of the team managers for the men’s and women’s Wheelchair Basketball teams and has not let the necessity of using a powered wheelchair stop her from working toward her degree. Bradford has cerebral palsy and said the University is one of the few colleges in America that provides full service for students with disabilities, in terms of providing daily living assistance for

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SONNY AN THE DAILY ILLINI

Members of IllinoiSkating perform a routine on the ice rink at the University Ice Arena on Sunday.

UI faces possible censure BY ABIGALE SVOBODA STAFF WRITER

While facing the possibility of censure from the American Association of University Professors, the University could avoid it by changing its policies or coming to an agreement with Steven Salaita, said Cary Nelson, former AAUP president and English professor. The AAUP will vote on whether to censure University administrations at its national annual conference on June 13. There are currently 47 school administrations on the AAUP censure list. Many are small, religious schools and some have been censured for over 50 years. If the University is censured it will be the only Big Ten school currently on the list. In August, the University rescinded Steven Salaita’s appointment, claiming some of his tweets regarding conflict in Gaza were uncivil. The AAUP wrote Chancellor Phyllis Wise to warn her of the consequences that could follow. Since Salaita’s employment was revoked, the University has lost several guest speakers, received votes of no confidence from 15 departments, is facing two legal battles against Salaita and is now facing the possibility of censure. “Censure results from the association’s findings that conditions for academic freedom and tenure are unsatisfactory at a college or university,” according to the AAUP website. The AAUP’s department of academic freedom, tenure and governance will visit the campus Thursday and Friday, observing and conducting interviews with various faculty members, said Anita Levy, associate secretary for the AAUP’s department of academic freedom, tenure and governance. The visit will help the department

finalize its report on its investigation into the handling of Salaita’s case, and the report will be released soon after. John Wilson, co-editor of AAUP’s Academe Blog, said he believes a report recommending the administration to be censured would be valid. “A censure vote against the University of Illinois is appropriate and necessary, because of the violation of fundamental standards of academic freedom that the AAUP calls for, and that the University of Illinois promises in its statutes to follow,” Wilson said. At the Feb. 2 academic senate meeting, Nelson said AAUP censure was “pretty definite,” however, Levy said there’s a possibility the committee won’t recommend the University be placed on the censured administration list. Harry Hilton, AAUP University chapter president, said the University’s progress toward addressing the policies that were used in Salaita’s case could help keep them off the censure list. “If the preponderance of those recommendations is adhered to and changes are made, or changes are in the process of being made, then censure becomes moot and won’t be imposed,” Hilton said. “But that’s timetable and willingness to do something.” Even if the committee recommends the University be placed on the censure list, there are still actions the University could take before the June vote. “The administration and the BOT could declare clearly ‘We believe civility on campus should be encouraged and promoted because it provides the best climate for educational dialogue, but there is no intent to require, impose, or enforce civility,” Nelson said. “Incivility is not grounds to challenge an existing faculty member’s employment, though it can be a factor

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Censure facts and impact on University What is Censure?

Universities’ administrations who fail to uphold principles of academic freedom and tenure, as stated in the American Association of University Professors’ statement of principles, are placed on a censure list. The list informs the academic community that the university’s administration is not endorsed by the AAUP.

schools on the censure list currently

IF ADDED,

the University would be the only Big Ten school on the list

“

The goal of censure

JUNE 13 The AAUP will vote on the University’s status

is to move an administration to reform its policies and practices and provide due compensation to the fired professor.” -John Wilson, co-editor of the AAUP Academe Blog

WHO IS AFFECTED? Administration:

Among peers, the institution looks bad and could lose its reputation and quality of education.

Students:

Could receive a lesser education because the University may face a harder time recruiting quality professors.

Faculty:

in hiring decisions.” The board could also set an earlier deadline for the approval of faculty appointments and the University can instate guidelines for dealing with issues that arise when the Chancellor and Provost are reviewing new faculty appointments, Nelson said. He added these actions would narrow the grounds for censure, although will not completely eliminate the possibility. Salaita said he would still be happy to work at the University if it is censured; how-

LGBTQ community emphasizes visibility for students, faculty BY MADISON JOHNSTON CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Living in a small community like ChampaignUrbana creates its challenges for LGBTQ faculty and staff of the University. While there is a significant ANNA HECHT THE DAILY ILLINI LGBTQ population in and ever, he admitted that it is “a around the towns, meeting bit of a catch-22” considering fellow LGBTQ residents is his reinstatement would make not as easy compared to livthe censure unnecessary. ing in a larger city like Chi“The students and instruc- cago or San Francisco. tors at the university are wonThere is one comfort in derful and it would be a great town called the Chester honor to join them,” Salaita Street Bar, which was voted said. for 2012 Best Gay Friendly In September, the Board Nightlife by the readers of released a statement declar- Buzz magazine. However, ing they would not reconsider multiple nights out of the Salaita for a faculty position week, the bar is rented out at the University. That state- to Greek life for exchangment was reiterated in Febru- es, which causes some frusary after the academic sen- tration for members of the local LGBTQ community SEE CENSURE | 3A who feel C-Street is the one

Potential hires will be less inclined to join, thus keeping current faculty from working with some of the best in their fields. Additionally, many guest speakers and seminar leaders will not visit censured Universities. SOURCE: Anita Levy, AAUP secretary

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Tim Nagel, junior in AHS, is one of many students in wheelchairs who benefit from DRES resources.

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pleasant place for nightlife fun. “This concern speaks to a larger issue and that is the only bar that folks feel like they can access and feel kind of comfortable in,” said Devon Guidoux, the assistant director of the LGBTQ Resource Center. “It would be helpful to have more spaces, more restaurants, more bars or clubs, or just meeting places that feel affi rming. If one place is closed for a night and there is a perception that this is the only place, that can be really challenging.” Because the University is located in the Midwest, Guidoux said there tends to be a stereotype about the region, including notions that many inhabitants are

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