GETTING READY FOR MOMS WEEKEND
MOMS, STUDENTS RECOGNIZED
For tips on how to enjoy campus with your mom, check out our Moms Weekend Guide
Moms Association honors exceptional women
MOMS WEEKEND GUIDE
PAGE 12
THE DAILY ILLINI
TUESDAY April 7, 2015
5he independent student newspaper at the University of Illinois since 1871
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Mayoral candidates state platforms Polling Places around Campus Urbana and Champaign polling place closest to campus
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STAFF WRITER
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Deborah Feinen currently serves as an atlarge member of the Champaign City Council and a commissioner and chair of the Regional Planning Commission. Feinen said she wants to better the community and believes her previous leadership
Mayor Don Gerard, the incumbent, has been mayor since 2011 and is seeking a second term. Gerard said that he would love to be re-elected because four years is not enough, and he wants to continue his current projects. “When I ran the first time, I really wanted to redefine what roles a mayor does in Champaign — it felt really stagnant, and I thought
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SOURCE: Champaign County Clerk’s Office
PHOTO COURTESY OF KAREN FOSTER
PHOTO COURTESY OF JOE PETRY
Karen Foster is an at-large member of the Champaign City Council. She has a bachelor degree in education and a master’s degree in guidance counseling and served as an educator from preschool to college. Foster said she wants to run for mayor
Joe Petry is an independent candidate in the mayoral race. He currently holds a leadership position at the Champaign Park District, where he has been involved for over 11 years. Petry is also a professor of economics and finance at the University.
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Champaign goes green Growing Greener Sustainability Program progress to date:
Converted low-efficient city lights to new fixtures, such as fluorescents and LED, which can save 50% energy and $162,000 per year Q Installed upgraded heating, ventilation and air conditioning at city facilities such as the fire station and police department Q Promoted recycling of electronics and solid waste by requiring waste haulers to collect recycling without Q
Senate questions new policy BY MAGGIE SULLIVAN STAFF WRITER
charging any fees Donated old office electronics to non-profit organizations to be refurbished Q Applied Zipcar among staff to reduce use of city-owned cars and also incorporated more fuelefficient vehicles, which can save 40,000 gallons of fuel per year Q Improved drainage systems of storm water Q Planned 7.75 miles of onstreet bike lanes Q
SOURCE: CHAMPAIGN CITY COUNCIL
Members of the Academic Senate raised concerns regarding a new background check policy Monday. Currently, the University only requires a background check for University positions that are considered “security sensitive,” such as handling money or interacting with controlled substances or minors. The Board of Trustees recently approved a new policy that would require all employees to go through a background check as part of the appointment process.
STAFF WRITER
BY MAGGIE SULLIVAN
Champaign residents are encouraged to be more ecofriendly through the Champaign City Council initiative Growing Greener Sustainability Outreach Program, which spreads awareness about environmentally friendly practices. A multitude of events will be held from mid to late April to get residents involved in sustainable activities. Lacey Lowe, senior plan-
ner in the planning and development department of Champaign City Council, said the sustainability outreach program was first published in 2013, and was the City’s first communitywide plan on sustainability. The purpose of the project is to reduce electric power expenses and to conserve natural resources and save money through recycling. Lowe said the goal is to make Champaign a model
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Deb Stone, a representative from human resources, insisted it would not. According to the Board of Trustees, the background checks would be implemented solely to protect the University and its students. “Background checks don’t prevent someone from doing something horrific,” said Erik McDuffie, a senator from African American and Asian American studies. “I’m concerned this process will target, intimidate, silence or scare people of color from applying for jobs.” Naomi Makins, senator from the physics department,
also voiced her concerns with reliance on a background check. “The penal system is a complete failure,” she said. “I find all of this unfortunate.” Roy Campbell, Senate Executive Chair, said he was very pleased the senate was taking this matter seriously. “We want to come up with a mechanism that doesn’t intimidate people or that’s not unfair to people,” Campbell said. “For us, it’s a matter of considering what steps we might want to take as a senate.”
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ISS vice president urges senate to pass Title IX resolution STAFF WRITER
BY LIYUAN YANG
The new policy is anticipated to go into effect this June and will expand background checks to all faculty, specialized faculty, academic professionals, civil service and academic hourly positions. A third party vendor would complete the background check and return results to the University. Senators voiced their concerns on confidentiality, the University’s budget cuts and the message it sends to potential University job applicants. Additionally, senators questioned whether an applicant’s conviction history would be grounds to bar employment.
Matt Hill, vice president-external of the Illinois Student Senate, urged the Academic Senate to pass a resolution about Title IX conduct hearings Monday. The senate passed the resolution, supporting faculty, staff and student participation in Title IX conduct hearings, which concern sexual assault on college campuses. Recently the Department of Education released documents detailing how universities should handle sexual
assault cases, which it classifies as Title IX violations. The Department of Education does not recommend student, faculty or staff participation in the conduct hearings. Instead, it recommends appointing one or two deans to act as the investigators and sole adjudicators of these cases, Hill said. According to the Department of Education, survivors might not feel comfortable coming forward and facing a hearing board. Although the recommendation of the Department
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of Education is not law and does not carry any legal obligation, universities often feel pressured to comply because of the authority of a government entity. Hill and Student Body President Mitch Dickey, are advocating against the recommendation. Dickey also represented the University at a conference about the resolution in Washington D.C. in March. “We believe it’s really important that faculty, staff and students do remain adjudicators in Title IX conduct hearings,”
Hill said. Dickey, alongside 74 other student body presidents nationwide, signed a letter to Secretary of Education Arne Duncan opposing this recommendation. “ We’ve been really involved in leading the sexual assault awareness movement,” Hill said. “We really believe in shared governments, and just because something falls under Title IX doesn’t mean there shouldn’t be representation.”
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