[Oops. I was confused about the dates when I posted this query this morning about a meeting that hadn't happened yet. Cheng's report was at a preliminary meeting on the 13th. As the comments already indicate, reports from the meeting today--the 14th--are coming in, as on Kristi's post over at SIUC Unions United. Dave.]
Here's a new twist, where you tell me what happened, rather than me attempting to tell you (or at least point you to those who will tell you). The Southern ran a brief story on the BOT meeting on the 14th, but was silent on any union statement made there. The story notes that Cheng compared us to peers selected by the IBHE; our costs are similar, but we serve a more diverse and financially strapped student body, and have more trouble with attrition. Obviously the financial stress our students is one reason our retention rates are lower than those of our peers, as I hope Cheng and the BOT noted (though the story did not). I would guess that the financial stress effecting our prospective student pool also explains a great deal of our enrollment troubles. Surely someone has studied college attendance rates for such students. Inside Higher Ed just ran a story on the recession and enrollment, but it didn't help me much.
Oops, there I go playing the source of all knowledge. What did the union statement say? I'll bet some of you reading this were there and can fill the rest of us in.
Thursday, July 14, 2011
5 comments:
I will review and post comments as quickly as I can. Comments that are substantive and not vicious will be posted promptly, including critical ones. "Substantive" here means that your comment needs to be more than a simple expression of approval or disapproval. "Vicious" refers to personal attacks, vile rhetoric, and anything else I end up deeming too nasty to post.
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Give The Southern some time. The Board meeting is today. Their article about Chancellor Cheng's remarks was from yesterday's Board retreat.
ReplyDeleteSadly, I can not be here today but I did discuss the issue with a faculty member of ISU who is very glad to have escaped from SIUC. He mentioned that "shared governance" is in full operation and taken very seriously by a President who not only spoke out against the Ethics Test when it was introduced by our now-convicted Governor (a contrast to our ex-politican President)but also that ISU managed to deal with the shortfall in state money WITHOUT furloughs or firings! Furthermore, faculty and staff are treated with respect there by administrators in contrast to SIUC.
ReplyDeleteI've read Rita's PR. The same old story. Until administrators realize that they are responsible for the fall in student enrollments then SIUC will continue to move towards the maximum enrollment so far at Illinois Wesleyan University - 2,000.
Good luck to everyone involved in this protest.
I'll have coverage and copies of the comments I made on health care and the letter the presidents delivered to the BOT in a bit on both the siucunion blog and on the gaunited website. Along with video! All in all, I think we did a good job. We packed half the room and people wearing black far outnumbered everyone else.
ReplyDeleteAlso, if I understand correctly, the Southern article you linked is about the retreat the BOT and Chancellors went on yesterday, not the actual meeting. They have a provisional report here: http://thesouthern.com/news/local/education/article_e55ba5e8-ae31-11e0-b4d2-001cc4c03286.html
ReplyDeleteI think it was a very impressive action. It was a powerful but non-confrontational show of force and of concern for the state of labor relations at the university. A cross section of people from the campus showed up to support the unions. If this didn't make an impression on the Board, then I don't know what will. Indeed two members of the board expressed their support after the meeting wrapped up.
ReplyDelete