CSU Faculty Voice: And What A Rally It Was

Friday, April 1, 2016

And What A Rally It Was

So I was only a child in the late 1960s and early 1970s when campus protests were occurring almost daily somewhere in the United States. When I got to college the protests on campus were about American institutions dis-investing in apartheid era South Africa. Now some three decades on, the actions of a novice governor seems to have inspired a new generation of activism. Chicago State was host to a large protest rally and march that led to a larger march downtown today. This event brought together the Chicago Teachers Union, the University Professionals of Illinois, food service workers advocating for a living wage and others concerned about these critical social justice issues.

Supporters of CSU came from Northeastern Illinois University, Eastern Illinois University, Northern Illinois University, and the University of Illinois at Springfield. With public education under attack in Illinois, it was a remarkable event that was timed to precede the Illinois House of Representatives coming back into session on Monday. Coming off of significant primary losses last month, will the Governor come to his senses and stop trying to destroy vital public institutions or will he remain fixated on an unattainable political agenda?

1 comment:

Steve RoweApr 2, 2016, 9:50:00 AM
It was quite a day! The rally & march was the culmination of quite a bit of work by many, many people at Chicago State, UPI, and our partners. A special thanks to Kelly Harris who represented the CSU faculty and gave an amazing speech! Another shout out to the CSU students who spoke, showing the impact that they are having as leaders and activists. The value of education at Chicago State was well-represented!
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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.