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BASKETBALL RECRUITING Five-star Elijah Thomas isn’t the only prospect visiting this weekend SPORTS, 1B

RESEARCH AND FRESH CUTS SCIENCE LAB DOUBLES AS BUTCHER

LIFE & CULTURE, 6A THURSDAY September 18, 2014

LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON When Illini football players need someone to go to, offensive coordinator Bill Cubit is always there SPORTS, 1B

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Vol. 144 Issue 016

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Caterpillar Inc. to build new data lab BY ANGELICA LAVITO STAFF WRITER

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University Provost Ilesanmi Adesida waits to be interviewed on Monday before the “Washington Journal” series which features university officials during a C-SPAN Bus tour of the universities of the Big Ten Conference.

Caterpillar Inc. celebrated the 15th anniversary of its Champaign Simulation Center with plans to build a data analytics center. The Simulation Center was established in Research Park in 1999 and has since provided University students with internships and employment opportunities. “The new lab will foster real world innovation by bringing together University researchers and Caterpillar analytics professionals from engineering, computer science, statistics and economics to work on challenges and opportunities raised by technological and cultural change,” said Barbara Cox, spokeswoman for Caterpillar. Research Park Director Laura Frerichs thinks Caterpillar’s addition of a data

analytics lab reflects Champaign’s growth as a hub for big data. Earlier this year, a report identified data analytics as an area of potential economic development at the University. “We think that Champaign is a great location for computing, but more specifically, analytics as a growing market opportunity, with many companies seeing the information they have as increasingly valuable in making more data-driven decisions for their business,” Frerichs said. She added that the lab will open the Caterpillar experience to a wider scope of students, like those in mathrelated majors. When the Caterpillar Simulation Center opened, there were three employees and

SEE CATERPILLAR | 3A

UI study shows community college students confused on health care law BY ALEX SWANSON STAFF WRITER

Seon Campbell, a nontraditional freshman at Parkland College, feels like many of his peers don’t fully understand the change to their health care plans brought on by the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare. Campbell, 28, is studying to become a licensed practical nurse and works with the Wellness Center on campus. “A lot of the students that come here are fresh out of high school, and they have not yet been educated about (Obamacare),” Campbell said. Campbell thinks the confusion over their health care benefits could be a problem for students if their health suddenly declines. A study to be published by 10 researchers from the university’s Urbana-Champaign and Chicago campuses provides statistical evidence

that many community college students aren’t aware of how the change in health care affects them. The study results show around 20 percent of surveyed students were in favor of the ACA, 48 percent were against it and 32 percent had no opinion. Laura Payne, co-author of the study and associate professor in sports, recreation and tourism, was surprised by the depth of confusion felt by community college students. Payne also serves as a member of Extension, an educational program within the College of ACES, which helped fund the study. “I guess we were a little surprised at the extent of the confusion and the lack of knowledge that a lot of our survey participants expressed through their answers,” Payne said. The survey had participants from six Illinois com-

munity colleges: John Wood, Kankakee, Kaskaskia, Lakeland, Lewis & Clark and Rend Lake. Payne said community colleges usually have a very diverse student population because they have many students entering from high school, as well as adult students returning to further their education. The survey sample was 75 percent female and 88 percent white. Payne said that the team chose to study community college students because the ACA relies on young people, under the eligible age for Medicare, to sign up. Additionally, Payne commented that community college students frequently take their health for granted and assume they will stay in good health. “Young adults happen to be one of those groups who happen to have bulletproof vest syndrome,” Payne said.

Affordable Care Act •

•

The Affordable Care Act was signed into law in March of 2010. The Supreme Court upheld the decision in June 2012. Children can remain on their parents’ insurance plan until age 26. The act requires insurance companies to cover pre-existing conditions. The act does not allow insurance companies to place lifetime or annual limits.

Campbell agreed, adding that part of the problem is that many students do not consider health care coverage an immediate need.

SEE HEALTH CARE | 3A

Committee aims to appoint president by Thanksgiving BY JOSH WINTERS STAFF WRITER

The Presidential Search Committee met on Wednesday to continue the University’s hunt for a new president. “We’re looking for the best person in the country for this job,” said Douglas Beck, co-chair of the Presidential Search Committee. “I think we’re making good progress.” Tom Hardy, University spokesman, said the committee is still considering over 100 candidates. He said they will likely announce who will replace current President Robert Easter by Thanksgiving.

The Board of Trustees will approve the new president at its January meeting, however, the new president won’t take over Easter’s role until July 1, 2015. The committee is also discussing the proposal of a raise for the position. Easter currently makes $552,375, including an annual bonus. Out of all salaries for presidents in the Big Ten, Easter’s falls in the bottom five. While the average salary for Big Ten presidents is $780,000, Hardy says the Board of Trustees will ultimately decide how much the new president will make. Before the committee went

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into executive session to discuss prospective candidates for the position, Beck summarized the status of the search. Since the committee met last in August, members have continued to reach out to prospective candidates as well as identify new prospects. Additionally, the Committee has considered suggestions from leaders in higher education. One of these leaders, Parker Executive Search, is an executive search firm that specializes in recruiting senior executives for corporate, sports, higher education

COURTESY OF COLLEGE OF ACES

President Robert Easter will

SEE PRESIDENT | 3A serve his role until July 1.

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MELISSA MCCABE THE DAILY ILLINI

University of Illinois Chancellor Phyllis Wise speaks with the Daily Illini Editorial Board on Wednesday.

Campus committee investigation of Salaita case could lead to larger probe DAILY ILLINI STAFF REPORT

In an open letter, 330 University faculty members called on Chancellor Phyllis Wise, President Robert Easter and the Board of Trustees to restore core principles of academic freedom and faculty governance. The letter, released on Wednesday, Sept. 10, was given to the Chancellor, the President and the Board following the Board’s Sept. 11 decision not to appoint Steven Salaita to a tenured faculty position in the American Indian Studies program. The letter also asked for a reversal of that decision. The campus’ Committee on Academic Freedom and Tenure, CAFT, is currently conducting an investigation of the Salaita case, which could lead to an investigation by the American Association of University Professors, AAUP. The AAUP advised the Chancellor on Aug. 29 that her Aug. 1 action was “an

improper summary dismissal and insisted that Salaita receive pay while the issues surrounding his appointment are investigated by CAFT, the campus mechanism through which such issues are typically resolved,” according to a press release from UIUC Faculty. Pending the outcome of the CAFT investigation, the AAUP could eventually vote to censure the University, which is its most severe and consequential response to an investigation. If placed on the AAUP censure list, the consequences could be detrimental to the future of the University as members of the AAUP are encouraged not to accept appointments at an institution that has been placed on this list.

Bryan Boccelli and Miranda Holloway contributed to this report.

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