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THE DAILY ILLINI
TUESDAY May 6, 2014
5he independent student newspaper at the University of Illinois since 1871
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77˚ | 63˚ Vol. 143 Issue 117
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Faculty rally in support of UI professor
Professors march on Swanlund building to oppose Kilgore firing BY TYLER DAVIS STAFF WRITER
At Swanlund Administration Building, the doors to the offices of the chancellor and the provost remained closed Monday to a group of faculty members delivering a petition in support of the restoration of James Kilgore’s employment status at the University. Kilgore, a research associate for the Center for African Studies and instructor in FAA and LAS, was told April 9 by Provost Ilesanmi Adesida that the University would not approve any of his future employment contracts, declining to provide an explanation. In a letter written to the American Association of University Professors, Chancellor Phyllis Wise explained that the provost has charged a committee with reviewing the processes in hiring employees. Additionally, the committee will be asked to provide a recommendation specifically regarding Kilgore’s future employability at the University. However, Kilgore said a decision has already been reached. The committee has been formed to review that decision, he said, adding that, “it’s not as if we’re in an open-ended situation.” The situation appears to be close-ended instead. The deans
whom Kilgore had intended to work under next term have refused to approve his contracts due to orders from their superiors. “To me, that’s not simply an ordinary review of a contract,” he said. The 310 faculty signatories on the petition calling on administrators to restore Kilgore’s employment believe that this unilateral review may have resulted from the University buckling against political pressure rather than reviewing employment renewal based on job performance. Merle Bowen, director for the Center of African Studies, said Kilgore was hired to use his “great grant-writing skills” for the center in addition to his research scholar status. She said Kilgore is playing a leading role in the center’s Title XI grant applications. If the application is successful, the center will receive about $2.3 million, putting the center on “very sound footing for the next four years.” She added that his experience living on the African continent allows him to engage with other Africafocused scholars. “He plays a really important role for us,” she said. She said Kilgore’s presence on
TYLER DAVIS THE DAILY ILLINI
Faculty gathered on the steps of the Swanlund Administration Building on Monday to present a petition to Chancellor Phyllis Wise and Provost Ilesanmi Adesida, calling on administrators to restore James Kilgore’s employment status. The petition was signed by 310 faculty members. the center’s staff is an example of the University’s commitment to the capacity of people to transform themselves and make viable contributions to wider society, noting that she hopes the provost and the chancellor will reconsider, which would allow her to rehire him to the center. Bowen said she has no complaints regarding Kilgore — “he has done exceedingly well, more than we anticipated.”
UI to begin new hire background checks BY MARYCATE MOST
The University will now require all new hires to undergo a background check. “This is something that we have been thinking about for a while,” said Maureen Parks, associate vice president for human resources. “Sometime after the first of the year, President (Robert) Easter and Chancellor (Phyllis) Wise asked us to take a serious look at this and to implement changes to our background check policy.” Previously, the University only performed background checks on hires that were in “sensitive” situations: working with children, firearms, University funds or medical patients. This change came as a result of a trend throughout higher education, including a number of Big Ten universities. Indiana updated its background check policy to include all faculty and staff in September, Iowa and Michigan updated in November, while Penn State updated its policy in February 2013. Parks said this trend is due partly to the Penn State scandal involving former football coach Jerry Sandusky.
Q Draft of the background check policy will be ready by September Q Campus leadership and faculty governance will address it in October Q The Governance, Personnel and Ethics Committee will address it in late October or early November and the full Board of Trustees will review it in November Q The Governance, Personnel and Ethics Committee will see it implemented sometime between January and March of 2015
SOURCE: ASSOCIATE VICE PRESIDENT FOR HUMAN RESOURCES MAUREEN PARK
“In the private sector, it has been very common for 15-to20 years to background check
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Two and a half weeks after Kaler’s statement to the SunTimes, Kilgore was informed that he had been blocked from teaching courses next semester. “Nothing happened between the beginning of the term and end of term to in any way change my situation as an employee of the University,” Kilgore said. “And there is nothing in
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Faculty leaders reaffirm support for academic freedom BY MARYCATE MOST STAFF WRITER
A wave of disgruntled voices echoed around the Levis Center on Monday, as the UrbanaChampaign Senate discussed whether to pass a resolution regarding academic freedom at the University. “I would encourage senators to vote against it because I think it sends a message to the outside world that we have a problem, and we don’t have a real problem,” said Vice Chair of the Senate Executive Committee Kim Graber. Some members of the audience protested Graber’s statement. “Oh, come on,” one audience member yelled. Despite Graber and a number of other senators advising against it, faculty senators voted 44-to-21 to pass the resolution, which reaffirms the principles of academic freedom, fair employment and appropriate unit governance over curriculum. The resolution was proposed
by a group of senators who raised concerns after professor James Kilgore received notice that his contract would not be renewed for the 2014-15 school year, following reports by various media outlets highlighting Kilgore’s criminal history. MARYCATE MOST THE DAILY ILLINI “Many faculty in our departments have taken opportuni- Chancellor Phyllis Wise discussed academic freedom with faculty ties to express their concern senators at the meeting on Monday. about these principles as they are being observed or not within the University,” said LAS profesgraduate concentration in sor and sponsor of the resolution Final resolutions Accountancy and to revise the In its last meeting of the Kathryn Oberdeck. “Academminor in Accountancy ic freedom is not upheld when year, the Urbana-Champaign outside pressure is affecting Senate passed resolutions in Q Proposal from the College employment. Fair employment of Business and the Graduate addition to the Resolution on is not upheld when established College to establish a University procedures are Academic Freedom: graduate concentration in Q Resolution in support of not the proper resort of quesFinance tions regarding employment. ... continuing the University Of Appropriate unit autonomy is not Illinois Stewardship of CARLI Q Senate and Senate upheld when units hear, without Executive Committee, SEC, Q Proposal from the College explanation, that their own overcalendar for the 2014-2015 of Business and the Graduate seen courses are turned back.” school year At the Senate Executive Com- College to establish a
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and political involvement with the Symbionese Liberation Army in the 1970s, eliciting campus spokeswoman Robin Kaler to tell the Chicago Sun-Times in late March that Kilgore was doing a “great job,” and that he is a “good example of someone who has been rehabilitated.” When asked May 2, Kaler declined to comment on Kilgore’s situation, as it is a faculty matter.
URBANA-CHAMPAIGN SENATE
Timeline of implementation for background checks
STAFF WRITER
“He has so many skills, and we have been able to benefit — not only at our center but the University at large,” Bowen said. Rather than job performance, the faculty petition’s signatories believe that the University’s refusal results from political pressure stemming from sensationalist media coverage at-large. In February, the News-Gazette published stories highlighting Kilgore’s criminal background
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