Perestroika strikes U of I

[CircleAlum]

As most of you know, U of I has a new president, and his first major initiative is restructuring the administrative chain of command.

He's published a FAQ pdf document which you can download here : bit.ly/aV99oH

It is definitely worth a read.

It is no secret that the antipathy that exists between Urbana and Chicago campuses is a huge problem for the U of I as a whole, and this President, unlike the last, understands the issue and is trying to foster a university-wide consciousness as a means to remedy it.

What is not clear is whether or not this is a Trojan horse.

I've heard some alarmist stuff from professors about this being primarily a mechanism to siphon money away from UIC, and that the long-term objective is to boost UIUC at the expense of UIC.

I think this is a legitimate concern, reinforced by the fact that it is conspicuously not addressed in the above document.

And remember: since the trustees are appointed by the governor and not elected, they are accountable to no one. There is no political price to be paid by those individuals for being corrupt, irresponsible, incompetent, or even flat-out crazy, as we saw during the admissions scandal last year.

Any thoughts?

[Big D]

Wouldn't shock me one bit if UIC gets shafted in the long run. With roughly half of the BOT having Urbana connections and only one with pure UIC connections, can we really trust them, as a whole, to look out for UIC? Nope.

UIUC cares only about itself and will try to improve any way it can, even at UIC's expense. The FAQ includes 2 questions that are blatant shots at UIC and UIS and could only come from the pompous UIUC community...

1) To what extent might the collaboration between units, which have a high profile on one campus, but not another, result in the overall lowering the prestige of the former?

2) How would a more centralized vision of the University affect the value of University degrees, specifically from the Urbana-Champaign campus? How would this vision affect the public
perception of the institution?

To me, this restructuring and increased collaboration sounds like a way to get UIUC more involved in medical/health research, and to stop UIC and UIUC from competing for federal funding for similar projects.....hmmmm, let me guess which campus will be asked to "take a back seat and let Urbana do it". Important projects go to UIUC....leftovers and the occasional bone go to UIC. UIUC rankings increase....UIC's federal funding and rankings decrease....UIUC people are happy....and UIC alums don't care anyway, so what's the harm?

Yeah, it's a bit extreme, but I wouldn't put it past anyone on the BOT....

[circle70]

I agree, Big D. UIC will definitely be shortchanged in these maneuvers. It's happened in the past with our attempts to start a Law School.

To be totally short-sighted and selfish, I at least hope that the Athletic Department will come out of this unscathed. If not wanting to play us in Basketball on a yearly basis is as bad as it gets, I can live with that.

[CircleAlum]

Oct 21, 2010 23:48:12 GMT -6 Big D said:

To me, this restructuring and increased collaboration sounds like a way to get UIUC more involved in medical/health research, and to stop UIC and UIUC from competing for federal funding for similar projects.....hmmmm, let me guess which campus will be asked to "take a back seat and let Urbana do it". Important projects go to UIUC....leftovers and the occasional bone go to UIC. UIUC rankings increase....UIC's federal funding and rankings decrease....UIUC people are happy....and UIC alums don't care anyway, so what's the harm?

I tend to agree with you, and this article backs up what you are saying:

www.news-gazette.com/news/university-illinois/2010-09-29/easter-rising-tuition-pushing-college-out-reach.html

From which I quote:

"Easter said the UI could capitalize on its extensive health care operations, groundbreaking research in genomics and expertise in computational science to create a "Silicon Valley of health" in Champaign-Urbana, resulting in research opportunities, new jobs and more tax revenue for local schools and the state."

In that context, it appears that this restructuring is as much an attempt by downstate to steal from Chicago as anything else. Same old, same old.

[Big D]

It sounds like UIUC's Silicon Valley of Health would be a combination of (or collaboration between) their already existing health programs and their strong engineering programs. Not sure how much this would infringe on UIC operation. What they do with their funding is their choice, I guess. However, I don't want them using any of UIC's funding to do it....and if increases in funding occur for the U of I, UIUC shouldn't get an extra large portion of that new funding to do it. They will have to take funding away from other programs of theirs to fund new programs, if necessary.

No matter what they do, the hospital and medical school will always be in Chicago because they serve a much better purpose in a big urban environment. They can change the name and call it whatever they want (and I have read in multiple places that UIUC alumni, students, etc. believe the buildings in Chicago are theirs too). Funny how that works. UIUC thinks that their reputation will be hurt if they have to collaborate more with UIC. But they're quick to use UIC and claim our med center as their own to make themselves look stronger....

It does sound like the President understands that UIC is the medical campus and that he intends for it to stay that way. "...while it is the case that the clinical enterprise is a University-wide and state-wide enterprise, the health science colleges and schools are part of the distinctiveness of the University of Illinois at Chicago, alongside and integrated with the distinct and distinguished urban mission of our Chicago campus. In fact, the health science programs are a major component of the budget on our Chicago campus and must be healthy, or the whole campus is at risk."

If we cut back on med funding and research at UIC, then we lose our identity and distinctiveness, which is precisely what he doesn't want. So, we're probably all worrying for nothing.

I am not a fan of UIUC at all. I think they're definitely trying to hold UIC down. Whether it be publicly criticizing our desire to add a law school, questioning whether collaboration with us will harm the value of a UIUC degree, stating to major Chicago media that they don't want to play us in basketball because there's no benefit for them, or whatever, it's not helping us. Who knows what they've had their grubby little hands in. Did they cause Stanley Fish's departure? Did they play a part in planting a UIUC grad as Chancellor of UIC for their own benefit? Are they blocking our entrance to the AAU? Did they prevent the law school from becoming reality? All of this is a conspiracy theorist's dream....but you have to wonder.

It's easy for me to say that UIC better not suffer in any way to better UIUC, but what am I gonna do? As an outsider looking in, what do I know about this whole opeation?...next to nothing. I just spew whatever comes to mind to make myself feel like I'm making a difference. But, really, all I can do is hope and trust that those working for UIC notice injustice and fight against it. But then you also have to hope that the BOT isn't corrupt as hell. Yeah right...

I just want what's fair for all schools. Don't play favorites and let us grow how we will. In a perfect world with no favorites, I guarantee UIC would be giving UIUC a run for their money.

[axaguy]

UIC already does get the short end of the stick when it comes to capital funding, etc when in competition with UIUC. I had a lunch with a high ranking individual from the medical campus and they said if UIC may have a top priority expenditure that needs immediate attention, it must get routed through Champaign where it might wind up 4th on a list of capital projects for all of Illinois projects. Having three UIUC projects drop our request out of a priority position. Goes on already..........
As much as many of us UIC alumni would love our own separate identity UIUC will NEVER cede that power to us to become independent. We have too much that they want and need.
The medical center at UIC allows U of I to advertise itself as a full service medical school.
UIC is a major research institute as well and draws lots of money in that arena that becomes shared......
WE are in Chicago and they are not.......... Champaign??? Where's that??? Oh yeah, 2 hours south of Chicago!!!!!!!!!!!!
We then could add a law school, by ourselves, etc....... Opppps, there's that ugly competition, again........
The time for us to have gone it alone was immediately after the Chicago Campus opened as a 4 year school replacing the 'Pier." I'm affraid we have grown too much in stature as the "step child" for Champaign to let us go now.........
It is what it is my friends.......................

[Big D]

Here's a post by a UIUC professor...

"...Successful University systems (e.g., University of California) grant significant autonomy to the campuses. On the other hand, integrated universities with multiple campuses (e.g., U. Conn) are pulled down by wasteful efforts to harmonize rules and standards across campuses that have very different academic standards and very different modes of operation. Harmonization across campuses in U.I. will necessarily mean a lowering of standards at UIUC, hurting the campus and the university, as a whole. Competition between campuses is not wasteful it is healthy and is a strong contributor to the high standards of our campus...."

And a response by a UIC person...

"I agree with most of Prof. Snir's comments, except "Harmonization across campuses in U.I. will necessarily mean a lowering of standards at UIUC, hurting the campus and the university, as a whole". I would say, instead, that harmonization will likely mean a lowering of standards at each campus, hurting the university as a whole. I don't think the rest of us are going "bring down" Urbana (and I rather resent the assumption). The point, which Prof. Snir makes, is that we have three unique, interdependent, and distinctive campuses that together contribute to the strength of the University as a whole."

illinois.edu/db/view/833/36531?count=1&ACTION=DIALOG

[evelynz8735]

Oct 21, 2010 9:01:52 GMT -6 CircleAlum said:

As most of you know, U of I has a new president, and his first major initiative is restructuring the administrative chain of command.

He's published a FAQ pdf document which you can download here : bit.ly/aV99oH

It is definitely worth a read.

It is no secret that the antipathy that exists between Urbana and Chicago campuses is a huge problem for the U of I as a whole, and this President, unlike the last, understands the issue and is trying to foster a university-wide consciousness as a means to remedy it.

What is not clear is whether or not this is a Trojan horse.

I've heard some alarmist stuff from professors about this being primarily a mechanism to siphon money away from UIC, and that the long-term objective is to boost UIUC at the expense of UIC.

I think this is a legitimate concern, reinforced by the fact that it is conspicuously not addressed in the above document.

And remember: since the trustees are appointed by the governor and not elected, they are accountable to no one. There is no political price to be paid by those individuals for being corrupt, irresponsible, incompetent, or even flat-out crazy, as we saw during the admissions scandal last year.

Any thoughts?

Thanks you for the post.
Hi guys, Im a newbie. Nice to join this forum.







__________________
watch free movies online

[Administrator]

Oct 29, 2010 2:04:47 GMT -6 evelynz8735 said:

Oct 21, 2010 9:01:52 GMT -6 CircleAlum said:

As most of you know, U of I has a new president, and his first major initiative is restructuring the administrative chain of command.

He's published a FAQ pdf document which you can download here : bit.ly/aV99oH

It is definitely worth a read.

It is no secret that the antipathy that exists between Urbana and Chicago campuses is a huge problem for the U of I as a whole, and this President, unlike the last, understands the issue and is trying to foster a university-wide consciousness as a means to remedy it.

What is not clear is whether or not this is a Trojan horse.

I've heard some alarmist stuff from professors about this being primarily a mechanism to siphon money away from UIC, and that the long-term objective is to boost UIUC at the expense of UIC.

I think this is a legitimate concern, reinforced by the fact that it is conspicuously not addressed in the above document.

And remember: since the trustees are appointed by the governor and not elected, they are accountable to no one. There is no political price to be paid by those individuals for being corrupt, irresponsible, incompetent, or even flat-out crazy, as we saw during the admissions scandal last year.

Any thoughts?

Thanks you for the post.
Hi guys, Im a newbie. Nice to join this forum.







__________________
watch free movies online

Do us all a favor and don't insult our intelligence by pretending that you're not spamming our board. Find another place to do it.

That's 2 strikes. One more and you're out.

[CircleAlum]

Urbana Senate goes on record opposed to the reorganization:

www.senate.illinois.edu/sc1106_f.asp

And responds negatively to the President's FAQ:

www.senate.illinois.edu/sc1105.pdf

While the UIC Senate asks for a delay in the vote as both Springfield and UIC's West Campus respond favorably:

www.uic.edu/htbin/cgiwrap/bin/uicnews/articledetail.cgi?id=14729

[uicb]

Honestly it just sounds like they're trying to hijack our medical school. This new "health adviser" that "reports directly to the president" sounds like a way for UIUC to control our medical school - probably even rename it to "University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign at Chicago College of Medicine" lol.

[postagepaid]

That's already happening.

The dean of the UIC College of Medicine, who is expected to take on the VP of Health Affairs position, is already pro- U of I. He undertook an initiative, after Chancellor Manning was forced out by Joe White, to rebrand UIC Medicine as the "University of Illinois" College of Medicine with campuses in Chicago, Urbana, Rockford, ect.

You can see that imaging already in their website. www.medicine.uic.edu/. This is only a few years after he led the effort to rebrand the UIC hospital as the University of Illinois Medical Center (at Chicago).

Several of the west side colleges have always tried maintain the idea of affiliation with the downstate campus. It's frustrating to those of us in marketing roles at the university, as it really damages UIC's brand, and confuses their identity.

[Big D]

surprise, surprise, guess where the dean did his undergrad?....Urbana...

www.medicine.uic.edu/deans_welcome

I like how he changed UIC College of Medicine everywhere in his welcome except for after his signature. I encourage everyone to email him and ask for an explanation.

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