UIUC Updates

The News-Gazette had some of the latest updates on COVID protocols on campus:

On the University of Illinois campus, you couldn’t have scripted a better day to partially lift the state’s indoor mask mandate.

The weather had bounced to a crisp 50 degrees, and a couple days previous, there was a welcome COVID-19 testing landmark: 0 new cases of the virus detected on campus for the first time in four months...

The UI campus is easing into this new shift in the pandemic. While plenty of K-12 school districts, like Champaign, went mask-optional this week, the UI is keeping face coverings required in its classrooms...

Masks are still required in health care facilities, like McKinley Health Center, campus counseling services and COVID-19 testing sites. Transportation areas like C-U Mass Transit District bus stops and Willard Airport are federally obligated to require masks.

That full article here. The University has its latest guidelines, including its guidelines on returning from spring break here.

This past month saw a lot of coverage of antisemitic messages and response from the campus and community. From WCIA last month:

Illini Hillel is responding to reports of anti-Semitic flyers placed across campus Sunday.

Executive Director Erez Cohen said dozens of students found bags with hateful messages Sunday. Some of those students are concerned for their safety...

“I think it’s important to know regardless of this intimidation tactic, our Jewish community is very strong and very welcoming,” Cohen said. “And if there’s anyone that is curious about what Jewish history is all about – what Jewish culture is all about – we would always welcome people at Hillel.”

That full article here. More response coverage from local Jewish students is available here from WCCU. More coverage from the News-Gazette here and here. WCIA also had a portion of the Chancellor's response here:

These messages are offensive, outrageous and they represent unacceptable attacks on members of our Jewish community. They are antithetical to our university values of inclusion and tolerance, and they are another disheartening example of the kind of anti-Semitic acts and expressions that are too common in our nation and right here in the community where we all live, learn and work… Sneaking around and delivering hateful, hurtful and racist messages in little plastic sandwich bags filled with gravel is a cowardly and craven way to spew hate and division in our community.

The full email is available here from the UIUC massmail system. The incident and the police investigation into it made news in regional and national news (e.g. this blurb in the Chicago Tribune and another in US News, also via the Associated Press).

WCIA also reported Illinois lawmakers speaking out against the messages and the Chancellor warning of increasing antisemitism:

The Anti-Defamation League reported antisemitic incidents increased in the Midwest by 84% between 2016 and 2020...

“What you see playing out in Urbana-Champaign, in Chicago, is kind of a microcosm of what’s going on across this nation of ours in this climate of intolerance where it just seems to be growing exponentially,” [U of I Chancellor Robert Jones] said.

The Anti-Defamation League notes college campuses are hotbeds for antisemitism because hatemongers are skilled in using academic language to express bigoted ideas to intellectually curious students.

That full article here.

The University's Chancellor has been highlighted in the news and interviews in the last month. The most detailed might be his interview with WGN that goes into his personal history, background, and what drives him to make the University equitable. Excerpt:

Jones’ high school was still segregated. Fort Valley is a historically black college. As a postgraduate, he experienced a defining part of his life. 

“Blatant issues and challenges around race. I won’t get into any details, but it was one of the most challenging periods of my academic career and I had to say to myself that I’m not going to let anybody define my future,” Jones said. 

That future took shape with its first step toward administration and away from science after becoming tenured at Minnesota as a research professor. 

That full article with video clip here. Illinois newsroom had an interview with Chancellor Jones earlier in February (with audio segment links) here.

Tom Kacich had coverage of UI President Tim Killeen's presentation on University enrollment and other topics a couple weeks back in the News-Gazette. Excerpts:

Killeen, Jones and other UI execs last week had their annual appearance before the House committee that oversees the UI appropriation — held remotely instead of in a crowded room in the Stratton Building across from the State Capitol — and it lacked some of the drama of past hearings...

In particular, Killeen asked for more money for student mental-health services, more faculty members and increased student aid...

There was a particular focus last week on the UI’s dismal numbers in attracting African American students. Last fall, there were 3,833 Black students on campus, just 6.8 percent of total enrollment. That was far less than the 17.6 percent of students who identified as Asian or the 11.2 percent who identified as Hispanic.

That full article here.

Updates on the University related to the Russian invasion of Ukraine:

• The University is working with students affected by the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The News-Gazette had coverage of their efforts here. 
• The college of medicine is organizing relief efforts, according to their website.
• There was a rally in support of Ukraine by students and others on campus. The Department of Slavic Languages & Literatures had a brief summary and links to local news coverage here. More from WCIA here.

Other University Updates:

• Student elections coverage from WPGU (audio segment) here. The Daily Illini had some recent criticisms and shared some campus perspectives on Illinois Student Government here.
• Three faculty members in engineering were recognized by the National Academy of Engineering according to Illinois Newsroom.
• The University's new emergency management director was highlighted in the News-Gazette with a lot of information on his background here.
• Background on the new interim dean of the Carle Illinois College of Medicine here at UIUC from the News-Gazette.
• More on the new permanent dean of the Carle medical school coming in May, also from the News-Gazette.
• The last charges were dismissed against Sundas “Sunny” Naqvi, who initially was in the news due to a University sexual harassment case, but then got involved in a number of bizarre incidents over data.
• In an article missed in last month's UIUC update on the Cheat Sheet, there was an apology and some reconciliation between some of the campus Jewish community and an athlete who had apologized over slurs during a recorded video gaming session.
• A local University professor participated in the television gameshow Jeopardy. That blurb from WCIA. The Daily Illini had more here.
• At the state level, the governor is supporting increases to financial aid such as the MAP grant, according to Illinois Newsroom. Our local State representative made an appearance with the governor locally at an event on the subject.