CSU Faculty Voice: A Social Justice Agenda at CSU

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

A Social Justice Agenda at CSU

This week marks two important Chicago State University events in the labor and food justice movements. On March 26, a food service workers delegation at Chicago State approached Thompson Hospitality management to inform them that more than 90% of food service employees had signed union cards with UNITE HERE. They have asked Thompson management to allow for a vote to become formally affiliated with UNITE HERE and later to negotiate a contract with management. The rest of the campus is invited to assist food service workers in their attempt to secure a decent living wage and a dignified and safe working environment. On Monday, April 2 at 4:00pm students and faculty interested in knowing more about the development of this union and/or who want to support this effort will meet. The location is still to be determined. So stay tuned for details.

At the end of this week on Saturday, March 31, from noon until 4 pm Chicago State faculty, students, staff and administrators are invited to join their neighbors in the first collective workday at the Roseland Community Peace Garden. Bring your garden tools and your garden clothes to the Northwest corner of 104th Street and Wabash. Over the previous three seasons of the RCPG dozens of students have helped make the garden a success. Hundreds of pounds of organically grown vegetables from the RCPG have fed dozens of families who have participated.

These are but two examples of social justice initiatives developed by students, staff and faculty at Chicago State. I invite all my colleagues and your students to get involved in these and other important social justice initiatives. In particular I urge the Faculty Senate and the Chicago State University Chapter of UPI Local 4100 to serve a social justice agenda. Please let us know about other social justice initiatives so we can continue to build the social justice mission at our university.

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Thanks to Haki Madhabuti

"1. He/she must be a scholar of national note, with significant peer review publications and books in his or her field. There must be no doubt as to his/her standing in the community of scholars. This would also include a history of the candidate’s participation in the appropriate professional organizations.

2. He/she must have served with distinction as the administrative head of a major unit within an institution of higher learning or at the important position of Provost and/or Dean. Of course, prior service at the presidential level is preferred.

3. He/she must have a documented history of raising significant monies from the private and public sectors. At most major and research one universities it is not unusual to expect the president to come with a plan to raise in excess of half a billion dollars or more in the first few years.

4. The prospective president must have a consensus buy-in from the faculty, students, administration and staff, therefore, arriving with a unity mandate to lead by joining a University community that has bought into his or her vision for the future."

From an open letter to the CSU Community, 2009.