From: "B. Joseph White" Date: October 6, 2008 2:20:38 PM CDT To: PRESMAIL@LISTSERV.UIC.EDU Subject: [PRESMAIL] Message from the President Reply-To: uipres@UILLINOIS.EDU October 6, 2008 To:          Members of the University Community From:    B. Joseph White Re:         A Message Concerning University Employees and the Illinois State Ethics Act I write to you today with a simple message: We, the leadership of the University of Illinois, will preserve, protect and defend the constitutionally guaranteed rights of every member of our University community, including, of course, freedom of speech and assembly. We will also preserve, protect and defend academic freedom, which is a core value of every great academic institution. Why am I communicating this assurance? Because the University Ethics Office, which reports to me, recently disseminated through its newsletter a briefing on the State Officials and Employees Ethics Act that was enacted in 2003. The newsletter is not a University policy statement. The purpose of the briefing was to familiarize us as state employees with the prohibited political activities section of the Ethics Act. Much of the briefing is simply informative about the state law. For example, it is not proper to use University resources to conduct political activity, nor is it proper to conduct certain political activities, such as soliciting contributions for a party or candidate, while on University time. However, some of the newsletter's content raised concerns among members of our community. The briefing cited certain political activities as prohibited that conflict, or appear to conflict, with fundamental freedoms.  One involves wearing a pin or T-shirt in support of a political party or candidate.  Another involves attending a rally on University property. Are such practices really prohibited by the Ethics Act? To date, the courts have given little if any guidance on the proper interpretation of the Ethics Act. I have heard from many people about this matter.  One of the most thoughtful suggested, and I agree, that University employees should be advised that they may engage in the following kinds of activities while on University property:   * Attend partisan political rallies, provided that the employees are not on duty   * Wear partisan political buttons, provided that employees at that time are neither on duty nor in the workplace of the University (many parts of campus are not workplaces)   * Display partisan bumper stickers on their vehicles Going forward, I remain concerned about possible conflicts between the Ethics Act and interpretations of its meaning and constitutionally protected freedoms and academic freedom. Accordingly, the Ethics Office, other members of my staff and I will work with state officials to ensure that interpretations of the Ethics Act do not restrict constitutionally guaranteed rights of state employees and, in the case of higher education and this University, academic freedom. From: Official Announcement Date: October 10, 2008 2:04:34 PM CDT To: OFFICIAL_FACULTY@LISTSERV.UIC.EDU Subject: [OFFICIAL] Chicago Marathon Sunday Reply-To: peralesa@uic.edu The Chicago Marathon is Sunday, Oct. 12. The route goes through the UIC campus, with 45,000 runners traveling south on Halsted to Taylor, then west to Ashland. Halsted and Taylor will be closed to traffic Sunday from 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Additional information on street closures is online at http://www.chicagomarathon.com/CMS400Min/Chicago_Marathon/spectators_volunteers/index.aspx?id=2527 Chief John W. Richardson UIC Police From: Urgent Official Announcement Date: October 14, 2008 12:07:56 PM CDT To: URGENT_FACULTY@LISTSERV.UIC.EDU Subject: [URGENT] Crime alert Reply-To: kajari@uic.edu Monday night at 11:20, a UIC student was the victim of an armed robbery near the corner of Polk and Western. As the victim exited the UIC Shuttle Bus, he was approached by four offenders, described as black males, all 18 or 19 years of age. They displayed a dark revolver, demanded the victim's book bag, and fled on foot westbound on Polk. The bag was recovered nearby, but a wallet with ID and cash, cell phone, and other electronics were gone. The victim was not injured. ***UIC Police strongly recommend complying with an armed offender's demand for property or valuables, as the victim did in this case.*** Other security tips: --be aware of your surroundings --try to travel in groups when possible, particularly after dark --use well-lit walkways --on campus, look for the location of the nearest emergency call box (there are more than 1,000 across campus) --the emergency number for UIC Police is 5-5555 or 312-355-5555, which should be set on speed-dial on your cell phone --report crime promptly to police The crime will be investigated by the UIC/CPD Joint Robbery Task Force. Anyone with information is asked to call UIC Police at (312) 996-2830. From: Official Announcement Date: October 22, 2008 2:21:49 PM CDT To: OFFICIAL_FACULTY@LISTSERV.UIC.EDU Subject: [OFFICIAL] Evacuation drill Reply-To: mnava@uic.edu On Friday, Oct. 24, the Environmental Health and Safety Office will be conducting an evacuation drill of the Westside Research Office Building (977 bldg., 1747 W. Roosevelt Road) at 11 a.m. At the conclusion of the drill the building will re-open for regular activity. Marilyn Hau Director of Environmental Health and Safety From: Official Announcement Date: October 24, 2008 5:26:29 PM CDT To: OFFICIAL_FACULTY@LISTSERV.UIC.EDU Subject: [OFFICIAL] Reminder Regarding Sponsored Project Administration Requirements Reply-To: bryan01@uic.edu A Message to Faculty from Vanessa Peoples, Director of Grants and Contracts This memorandum serves as a reminder to the UIC research community of certain sponsored project administration requirements.  Federal compliance audits have noted two findings which require your attention to ensure that your grant is not subject to future findings.  These requirements are also applicable to sub-recipients.  The principal investigators of the awards are responsible for ensuring that these requirements are met by sub-recipients under their supervision.  The findings involved the following areas: Timely Submission of Reports Award documents contain language or references to policies specifying reporting requirements and specific deadlines.  These reporting deadlines are an inherent part of the terms and conditions of the award and are required to be met as stringently as all other terms and conditions.  Please make sure you meet the reporting deadlines contained in your award documents.  Any exception or waivers must be obtained from the awarding entity in writing and retained for the record. Acknowledgment of Support in Grant-Supported Publications Any research publication or material for public display must contain acknowledgment of the funding agency and specific award(s) that was the source of funding for the research.  The only exception would be for those agencies or sponsors that have specifically requested exclusion of such identification in their terms and conditions. National Institutes of Health (NIH) grants also require you to include a disclaimer stating the contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of NIH.  Note: Publications mean any medium, including web publications and any materials distributed to the public including flyers. If you have any questions about the requirements, please contact Bryan Davis, Assistant Director of Compliance, at 312-996-0941. From: Official Announcement Date: October 27, 2008 1:38:17 PM CDT To: OFFICIAL_FACULTY@LISTSERV.UIC.EDU Subject: [OFFICIAL] Evacuation drill Reply-To: mnava@uic.edu On Wednesday, October 29, the Environmental Health and Safety Office will be conducting an evacuation drill of the Richard J. Daley Library (609 bldg., 801 S. Morgan St.) at 10 a.m. At the conclusion of the drill the building will re-open for regular activity. Marilyn Hau Director of Environmental Health and Safety From: "B. Joseph White" Date: October 28, 2008 3:14:12 PM CDT To: PRESMAIL@LISTSERV.UIC.EDU Subject: [PRESMAIL] University Outlook Reply-To: uipres@UILLINOIS.EDU October 28, 2008 To:       University of Illinois Community From:   B. Joseph White Re:       University Outlook As you know, we have been experiencing a global financial crisis and weakening U.S. and Illinois economies. I write to let you know what this may mean for the University of Illinois and how we are preparing for whatever financial conditions we could face in the months ahead. My message is that we must be prepared for the possibility of reduced state support, some students and families struggling with tuition bills, difficult research grant and contract conditions, and reduced income from the University’s endowment. The U.S. and Illinois economies are weakening rapidly as evidenced by rising unemployment and other indicators. While the outlook is uncertain, we may be in the early stage of serious recessionary conditions. Already we are seeing signs of difficult times with more likely to come. Most notable are weak state revenues and slow disbursements to state agencies, including the University, and a reduction in the value of the University’s endowment that reflects the serious decline in U.S. and global equity markets. Overall, the University is in a reasonable position financially to weather a difficult economic period. We have diversified revenue sources, some financial reserves, and a strong credit rating. We cannot, however, fully immunize ourselves from the painful effects of a severe recession, should one occur. Experience has taught me that to deal with the effects of a recession wisely, we must plan for the worst while we hope for the best. That is exactly what University leaders – vice presidents, chancellors and provosts, deans and directors – are doing. I have directed University leaders to prepare contingency plans for whatever financial hardships may come our way in the next six to 18 months. Immediately, we must save money by not filling many open jobs and by controlling expenditures of all kinds. Further action will be required if financial conditions worsen. I expect to receive and review these plans in the next several weeks. We will then brief the Board of Trustees, faculty governance groups, and representatives of employee and student groups. While strong leadership is necessary to navigate a period of financial difficulty, the University is a family and we want all members of the family to be fully informed and involved as appropriate in determining how to manage through hard times. I believe that three principles should guide our approach to dealing with tough financial times for the University: ·        Protect the academic quality that has been built over many decades. ·        Ensure students have access to the courses and programs they need and patients have access to the clinical health care on which they depend. ·        Share in a thoughtful and fair way whatever sacrifices are required. This is a good time to remember that we are the stewards of a great University that has experienced and successfully weathered nearly every challenge over its 140-year history: booms and busts, recessions and recoveries, wars and homecomings, turbulence and triumphs. Through it all, the University of Illinois has persevered and thrived. I assure you that this will again be the case in the present circumstances. Thank you for your work and your membership in the University of Illinois community. We will keep you posted in the months ahead. From: Official Announcement Date: October 28, 2008 3:18:30 PM CDT To: OFFICIAL_FACULTY@LISTSERV.UIC.EDU Subject: [OFFICIAL] Annual Security Report Reply-To: ldeanna@uic.edu Subject:  Annual Security Report To:       UIC Students, Faculty, and Staff From:     R. Michael Tanner          Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs          Barbara Henley          Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Every university in the country is required by the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act of 1990 to report campus crime statistics. A copy of the University of Illinois at Chicago's annual security report is available at:  http://www.crimestats.uic.edu. This report includes statistics for the previous three years concerning reported crimes that occurred on campus; in certain off-campus buildings or property owned or controlled by UIC; and on public property within, or immediately adjacent to and accessible from the campus. The report also includes institutional policies concerning campus security, such as those concerning alcohol and drug use, crime prevention, the reporting of crimes, and sexual assault. Students can obtain a copy of this report from the Office of the Dean of Students in Suite 3030 SSB.   From: Official Announcement Date: October 28, 2008 12:04:06 PM CDT To: OFFICIAL_FACULTY@LISTSERV.UIC.EDU Subject: [OFFICIAL] Seasonal switchover, cooling to heating Reply-To: servdesk@uic.edu Facilities Management is in the process of shutting down the cooling system in preparation for winter. Once the cooling system in a building is shut down and drained, we are not able to provide air conditioning. In the event of unseasonably warm weather, some areas may become uncomfortably warm. Every effort will be made to circulate as much air as possible. Please contact the Service Desk at servdesk@uic.edu or 6-7511, if the situation is extreme or becomes a potential health issue. Your patience during this transitional period is appreciated. Mark Donovan Executive Director Facilities Management and Capital Programs