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September 21, 2012
Even while sitting out for two weeks, Scheelhaase showcases faith on and off the field. SECTION C
The Daily Illini
Vol. 142 Issue 20
Loss of UI faculty ‘not sustainable’ Number of tenured faculty at 20-year low despite increase in research, enrollment BY LAUREN ROHR STAFF WRITER
Despite the rise in student enrollment and research productivity on the Urbana campus over the past several years, the number of tenured faculty members has dropped to the lowest it’s been in more than 20 years. That number shrank from 2,054 in 1991 to 1,691 in 2011. According to data compiled by the Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs, there was a 13.3 percent rise in student enrollment on campus from 2001 to 2011, along with an
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increase in the number of students interested in attending the University. This information was presented to the Academic and Student Affairs Committee of the University’s board of trustees at its meeting last week. In addition, research costs increased 27 percent from 2001 to 2011, bringing the total amount of federal research expenditures on campus up to about $350 million for the 2011 fi scal year. But with a 12.8 percent decrease in faculty numbers during that time period, Christophe Pierre, vice president and chief academic offi -
cer, said in the meeting that “this combination of trends is not sustainable.” The University is losing faculty members faster than it is replacing them. In 2011, 191 tenured faculty members retired, resigned, transferred to another campus or took an unpaid leave of absence. But only 117 faculty members were hired or transferred to the Urbana campus that year. Student trustee David Pileski said the University’s biggest issue in losing faculty members is the lack of ability to recruit them, which he thinks is a result of state pension issues. “Our faculty dedicates so much time to researching and providing the best learning environment for us students, and their retirement is pretty much on the line right
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More tenured faculty going out than coming in The number of tenured faculty members on campus reached a low of 1,691 in 2011. Since 2008, more tenured faculty members have left the University than have joined. 250
206
190
200 Tenure System Factuly
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177 150
159
185 177
168 167
183 152
120
100
191
102
117
50
0
2005
2006
Faculty who left
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
New faculty
Source: Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs MICHAEL MIOUX Assistant Design Editor
CUMTD to improve bus stops, add to SafeRides BY ZIKE CHENG CONTRIBUTING WRITER
With the record-high number of passengers buses carried last fi scal year, the Champaign-Urbana Mass Transit District is expanding its services in response to community needs. The changes include adding more buses to football games, improving bus stops and expanding SafeRides’ services, marketing director Jan Kijowski said . Saferides is now available on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights and during fall, winter and spring breaks. The results of a student referendum held in March 2012 supported an increased fee to fund additional services for SafeRides. Kijowski said focus meetings and townhall meetings held last spring and over summer also showed students’ desire for more SafeRides. Jim Maskeri , student representative to the CUMTD board of trustees, was heavily involved in the process of increasing the transportation fee. “I think the students really appreciate the increase of the service ... and they also want to support the additional safety on campus,” Maskeri said. “I mean, I personally believe that SafeRides is a very vital service to keep students safe on campus.” Maskeri said additional SafeRides during breaks benefit international and graduate students the most. Because these students are often unable to go home during breaks, it is important to make sure that they are safe on campus, he said. Chong Gu , sophomore in ACES, said she had a chance to use SafeRides last year but was unsatisfied with how long it took for the van to come. Gu said she hopes the increased services will help reduce that waiting period in the future. “I like that (CUMTD is increasing its SafeRides services),” Gu said. “I just hope it can come faster (next time).”
EMILY OGDEN THE DAILY ILLINI
Boneyard Creek, on the corner of Griggs and Race streets, will be renovated to include a park and walkways that will be open to the public.
Urbana to rebudget Boneyard beautification plan BY MADDIE REHAYEM STAFF WRITER
A beautification project for the part of Boneyard Creek stormwater channel that runs through downtown Urbana is being rebudgeted after bids came in higher than officials expected. Urbana City Council aldermen discussed the improvement project located near Griggs and Race streets, at its regular meeting Monday. Aldermen postponed a vote to allow for more discussion about cost-cutting options. Initial bids for the project to the area came in roughly $2 million over budget. “A lot of the savings have to do with a change of the materials that are going
to be used or even things like the size of the trees that we’re going to be planting along the creek,” said Dennis Roberts, Ward 5. Roberts said officials are now working on making changes that will save lots of money but not be too noticeable, such as changing the construction materials and getting rid of accent lights. “These are integral to the construction of the creek design and have to be decided before real construction starts,” he said. Bigger eliminations from the project include a stairwell that would have been along the east side of Race Street and a scenic overlook, said Brad Bennett,
project manager and senior civil engineer at Urbana Public Works. The project was originally planned with a $7.5 million budget, but the bids that came in from O’Neil Brothers and Stark Excavating totaled $10.3 million and $14.8 million, respectively. Bennett said construction on the project is expected to begin the week of Oct. 15, weather permitting. He said it will be a long construction process, which he expects to be completed in June 2014. He said the improvements will create a public gathering space and draw more people to the area. “From a financial standpoint, we’re hoping it’ll spur economic develop-
ment downtown,” Bennett said. “And, by having that nice amenity there, (it will) bring more people into the downtown area and benefit the business and property owners.” Once completed, local businesses like Silvercreek, a restaurant in downtown Urbana, will benefit from the project. “Initially, there’s going to be a lot of construction, but long-term it’s going to have a great positive impact,” owner Allen Strongsaid. Roberts said the changes should be approved at Monday’s meeting.
Maddie can be reached at rehayem2@ dailyillini.com.
Zike can be reached at news@dailyillini.com.
Pygmalion music festival at Canopy Club brings new, local bands to C-U indie scene Fortunately for Fein, this year Grizzly Bear is scheduled to play next door at Midpoint Music Festival in Cincinnati around the same time. Other headlining bands that will perform at Pygmalion include the Dirty Projectors, Dinosaur Jr., Cloud Nothings and Tennis. But Fein, who has planned Champaign-Urbana’s indie rock music festival for seven years, acknowledges that his event is about more than attending the main acts. Every year he fi nds new small bands to listen to at Pygmalion. “Other bands that I am really interested in seeing are A Hundred Waters from Florida, Frankie Rose from Brooklyn, and Lower Dens from Baltimore,” Fein said. “I am
BY LYANNE ALFARO STAFF WRITER
In a little under “Two Weeks,” Grizzly Bear, a headlining band at this year’s Pygmalion Music Festival, will perform its hit single from 2009 — a single that Seth Fein, founder and producer of Pygmalion, will not miss. The music festival, which takes place Sept. 27-29, will feature bands known on a national scale as well as local ones at multiple venues in the Champaign-Urbana area. “I’ve always wanted to bring Grizzly Bear to Pygmalion and have been trying to get them for the last five years,” Fein said. “It is a band that is really particular about when it plays and how it plays.”
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defi nitely going to try to carve out some time in the middle of a mess to be able to watch.” Although well-known artists like Best Coast will be among main acts at the venue next weekend, Mike Armintrout, director of operations at Canopy Club, also looks forward to smaller performances at this year’s festival. “There are usually some hidden gems,” Armintrout said. “People are always looking forward to the headliners, but there will always be at least a handful of bands which not many people are aware of that come in and play at the festival and end up being really great acts.”
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Washed Out performs as a part of Pygmalion Music Festival on Sept. 23, 2011, at Canopy Club. Bands such as Grizzly Bear, Best Coast, Dinosaur Jr. and Tennis will play this year
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