Rebranding, phase 2

As the Chancellor announced in an email sent last week November 21 (pasted at the end of this post), we're off on the second phase of the new marketing campaign, "big things within reach". I suspect this phase will get rather better reviews than the logo, though that of course isn't saying much. Here's one new print ad: 

(Click on the ad to enlarge it.)

Like the other ads in this new campaign, this one emphasizes research, particularly research in the sciences, which is, of course, easier to sell than research in the humanities, though as a humanist I'll go ahead and be slightly offended. Green research is particularly emphasized (though I wonder, without any particular expertise, just how "green" "clean coal" is ever going to be). But emphasizing research is a good thing. Attracting students excited about research is a good thing. Further discussion, including my recurring concerns about this marketing campaign, after the break. 

[One caveat up front: this analysis is largely that of the latest phase in the ad campaign. An analysis of the full "viewbook" released some time ago would emphasize different points, and fill in some of the gaps I find in the much shorter materials used in print and radio ads.]

FA ratifies tentative agreement

FA members voted to ratify the tentative agreement with the administration today.  Of the 138 who turned out to vote, 95% voted to approve the agreement.  The 130 131 yes votes made for a majority of all FA members--though all that was required was for a majority of those voting to approve the agreement. With final ratification by the SIU board of trustees, presumably at their December 8 meeting in Carbondale, the 17 month process to get a new contract will at last be complete. Let's hope it doesn't take as long next time around.

After the break, a press release we sent around announcing the results.

FA General Membership Meeting Monday

A reminder that the FA is holding a general membership meeting on Monday at 5:00 in Engineering A111, to discuss the tentative agreement. To refresh your memory, I again paste below links to documents on the agreement.

Summary of the tentative agreement:

http://siucfa.files.wordpress.com/2011/11/ta-precis-18-nov.pdf

Full text of tentative agreement with changes highlighted:

http://siucfa.files.wordpress.com/2011/11/ta-with-highlights-final.pdf

Back to work agreement:

http://siucfa.files.wordpress.com/2011/11/back-to-work-agreement-final.pdf

Bruce Appleby on Pension "Reform"

After the break, Bruce Appleby, vice-president of the SIUC Annuitants Association and a member of the SUAA (State Universities Annuitants Association) reports on recent developments in Springfield. Among other things, he urges folks to join the SUAA.  Dues are all of $32 annually.   [His message reached me via Mary Lamb and the Faculty Senate listserv.]

Help with the tentative agreement

We've put together a couple of documents to help people review the tentative agreement.  One is a précis which summarizes changes since the last contract and ties them to bargaining objectives. The second is a version of the tentative agreement in which changes since the last agreement are highlighted.  Both are available over on the FA website's page on bargaining.