November 19, 2013
Listervs Provide Variety of Information
A WIDE range of UIC listservs are available
(http://listserv.uic.edu/htbin/wa?HOME) for anyone interested in job openings,
events, and general news about the campus, and much more information. Anyone
affiliated with the University who has a NetID can subscribe. This includes
staff, faculty, and students.
HUNDREDS OF lists are available; some are very
active, others less so. Even for active lists, there are usually only two or
three posts a week, so they usually won’t flood one’s email inbox. Anyone can
start a list. Most are “opt in,” meaning one goes out to the listserv website
to subscribe. Many of the lists also include a footer in each posting, which
has links to subscribe or unsubscribe. Many people sign up for lists when
someone forwards them an email and suggests they sign up.
“WE’VE HAD about 3,500 subscribers consistently
over the past several years for the listserv PACADEMY,” said Michael Moss, associate director of
budget operations and financial analysis for UIC. “It’s a free, easy way to
reach a broad range of people on campus with news, events and other items of
interest. It’s also easy to use. Messages are usually posted within 24 hours.”
MOST LISTS focus on a specific group. For
example, PACADEMY targets Academic Professionals while FACULTY_VOICE targets
faculty. Lists provide updates, news, and information that targets subscriber’s
interests and concerns. Most are moderated, so messages must be approved by the
list owner before they are posted, which helps eliminate junk mail.
“I’VE HELPED moderate PACADEMY, the Academic
Professional list, for several years,” Moss said. “I’ve been happy to see it
evolve into one of the campus’ primary job boards; we usually see two or three
job postings each week. Many departments take advantage of the free publicity
that targets internal staff who may be interested in taking the next step in
their careers. PACADEMY also includes updates on campus events as well as news
stories we think employees might value.”
TO ACCESS a specific list on the main website,
simply click on the name of the list in the table. To find confidential or
unlisted lists, type the list name in the search box to the right. For lists
that have been configured with an HTML description, one can get more
information by holding the mouse over the list name.
THE FOLLOWING information is about three of the many
listservs at UIC.
Disabilities Issues
Listserv
THE CHANCELLOR’S Committee on the Status of Persons
with Disabilities (CCSPD) maintains a listserv for the UIC community interested
in disability issues. This list (CCSPD-EXT) is set up for discussion of
disability topics and is open to anyone on campus who wishes to be included. Dr. Carol J. Gill, associate professor,
UIC Department of Disability & Human Development, Interdisciplinary PhD Program in Disability Studies, oversees the listserv.
CCSPD-EXT POSTINGS include announcements of disability
cultural events and academic presentations, reminders regarding CCSPD meeting
dates and other CCSPD-sponsored events and projects, as well as information
regarding access, inclusion, and other disability issues. The listserv provides
information that helps advance the status of people with disabilities on campus
and beyond. It includes about five postings per week.
DR. GILL said the listserv serves an important purpose. “People with disabilities compose a very large but under-represented community,” she noted. “Our committee communicates information about disability issues, disability rights, inclusion and access, campus disability resources, and disability pride and culture. Subscribing to the list helps one keep up to date on issues and resources that advance understanding of the disability experience.”
DR. GILL said the listserv serves an important purpose. “People with disabilities compose a very large but under-represented community,” she noted. “Our committee communicates information about disability issues, disability rights, inclusion and access, campus disability resources, and disability pride and culture. Subscribing to the list helps one keep up to date on issues and resources that advance understanding of the disability experience.”
UIC IS a nationally recognized leader in disability research and academic programs, she added. The University currently offers the first Ph.D. in Disability Studies in the country, which examines the social and political dynamics of disability. Disability also is a focus of scholarship across campus, engaging faculty and student researchers.
Sustainability Listserv
DR. CYNTHIA Klein-Banai, associate chancellor for
sustainability at UIC, oversees the Greenlights listserv, which helps faculty,
staff, and students keep up with the latest green initiatives at UIC. By using
this service, people can stay abreast of environmental, social, and economic
happenings, and learn about internships, scholarships, and jobs. Greenlights is
distributed once every two weeks, and once a month during summer. The list is
moderated.
“POST TO recycling@uic.edu if
you need equipment for recycling, a pick-up, or have a question on recycling,”
Klein-Banai says. “Post to uic.edu/sustainability/about/contact.html
to ask a non-recycling-related question or make a suggestion. To subscribe to the Green UIC listserve that enables
discussion go to uic.edu/sustainability/community/greenuic.html.”
“WE ALSO have an EcoReps listserv. EcoReps are
departmental liaisons who are designated by their department head to
communicate sustainability-related events, opportunities and programs back to
their units. More information is available at: uic.edu/sustainability/ecoreps.html.
There is also a discussion list for its members.”
Faculty
Listserv
Dr. Philip
Patston, of the executive committee of the UIC Senate, and
associate professor of Oral Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences in the College of
Dentistry, oversees faculty_voice@uic.edu,
which allows the UIC Senate to share items of interest with faculty. It
includes reports of important Senate or faculty events and meetings; summaries
of news items and announcements of meetings, and events of interest to faculty.
The list is moderated, so only postings of legitimate importance are accepted.
It receives one orf two postings per week.
The
UIC Senate
primarily focuses on academic programs such as reviewing courses, admissions
policies, requirements for degrees, and the academic calendar. It has no
involvement with salary negotiation or employment issues. “There is a
difference in what we [faculty Senators] are empowered to do and what a union
would do,” Dr. Patston said. “The Senate doesn’t have decision or negotiation
power regarding employment issues, but since it has a wide membership of
faculty from all of UIC, of students and academic professionals, it has
considerable expertise as an oversight and consultative body.” Despite some
limitations, Dr. Patston said, the Senate “has been the only voice through
which faculty could raise issues of concern, and there are AP Senators who
raise issues as well. We point people in the right direction.”
Fall Forum A Success
 |
President Robert Easter speaking at the Fall Forum.
|
 |
A good-sized crowd attended the Fall Forum. |
UIC
UNITED, the UIC chapter of SUAA, the State Universities Annuitants Association,
along with APAC, presented a Fall Forum, Illinois Politics and the Public
University, Oct. 14. The
panel featured Robert Easter, President, University of Illinois; Christopher
Mooney, Director, Institute of Government and Public Affairs, University of
Illinois; and Dick Simpson, Professor
of Political Science, UIC. The moderator was Mitchell Vogel, Trustee,
State Universities Retirement System (SURS). For a video of the Fall Forum, see
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/UIC-UNITED.
IGPA Fiscal Futures Project
AS PART of this presentation, the Fiscal
Futures Project released a new analysis focusing on the 2011 income tax
increases, their 2015 sunset, and the state's long-term fiscal health.
YOU CAN access these papers (PDFs) at the
links below:
APAC to Host Seminar on Persuasion
A TWO-PART
seminar, the Art of Persuasion: Strategies for Enhancing Your
Influence, will be held on Wednesday, Dec. 4, and Thursday, Jan. 16, 11:30 a.m.
to 1 p.m. both dates.
LEARN TO communicate clearly; enhance your ability to influence others during
face to face interactions; develop a set of
techniques that can be employed to build consensus;
and, enhance your ability to influence a
desired outcome and achieve results.
THIS EVENT will be held at the College of
Medicine Research Building (COMRB), 909 S. Wolcott Ave., on the Medical Center
Campus. Attendance is limited. To register, log on to https://uofi.uic.edu/fb/sec/3071740
or contact, Uma Sriram at (312)
355-4935 (usriram@uic.edu),
or Donald Kamm at (312) 996-6424 (donn@uic.edu).
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION will be sent after registration. When
you register, you are registering for both dates.
APAC Meetings Scheduled
ALL
APs are invited to
the monthly APAC meeting at 12:30 p.m. on the second Wednesday of the month.
Meetings are held either in Room 5175 of the College of Medicine Research
Building, 909 S. Wolcott, or Room 2750 of University Hall on the East Campus.
Next meeting is December 11 in Room 5175 of the College of Medicine Research
Building. For information, call (312) 996-0306.
AP RESOURCE SPOTLIGHT
 |
More diversity at UIC is a goal of the Chancellor’s Committees.
|
AS
PART of the University’s efforts to promote and support its diverse
community, UIC established the Chancellor's Status Committees, which are
administered by UIC's Office of Diversity. Every year, Academic Professionals,
other staff, faculty, and students are nominated by existing committee members
and appointed by Chancellor Paula Allen-Meares.
INVOLVEMENT
IN Status Committee meetings and events is open to the entire UIC
community and supported by the Chancellor, and thereby considered approved for
employee participation. The Chancellor encourages members of the UIC community
to call upon the Status Committees to seek their assistance or take part in
their efforts in the areas described below. You can also consult their websites
for greater detail on activities, events, and subcommittees.
Chancellor's
Committee on the Status of Asian Americans (CCSAA)
Chair 2013-2014:
Jessica
Canlas, jessicac@uic.edu,
(312) 996-3853
CCSAA is dedicated to promoting the academic, social, cultural, and
professional welfare of UIC's Asian American faculty, staff, and
students. CCSAA addresses and makes recommendations to the Chancellor
regarding issues related to employment practices, climate, representation,
recruitment, and retention issues that are of concern to the Asian American
campus community. The committee is dedicated to working collaboratively with
diverse communities on campus and building relationships with off campus Asian
American community organizations.
Chancellor's
Committee on the Status of Blacks (CCSB)
Chair 2013-2014:
Johara
Hassan, joharah@uic.edu, (312) 996-8767
CCSB serves as an advisory body on matters pertaining to the academic,
professional, and social aspects of African and African American life at UIC.
CCSB addresses issues relating to campus governance, employment practices,
public relations, student affairs, and other issues that affect the well-being
of Blacks on campus. The committee works collaboratively with UIC's diverse
community.
Chancellor's
Committee on the Status of Latinos (CCSL)
Co-chairs 2013-2014:
Aixa
Alfonso, aalfonso@uic.edu, (312) 355-0318; Lorena Garcia, lorena@uic.edu, (312) 413-3759
CCSL was established to promote the development of educational,
professional, and career opportunities among UIC Latinos. The committee
addresses issues of general concern to Latinos at UIC.
Chancellor's
Committee on the Status of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer People
and Allies (CCSLGBTQPA)
Co-chairs 2013-2014:
Patricia
O'Brien, pbobrien@uic.edu, (312) 996-7885; Philip Vasquez, philipva@uic.edu, (312) 996-3100
The mission of CCSLGBTQPA is to provide leadership on lesbian, gay,
bisexual, transgender, queer people and allies issues in the UIC community.
This includes addressing needs of faculty, staff, students, and alumni of
diverse sexual orientations. The goal is to enhance a supportive environment,
which will foster full participation by all members of the University's
communities in teaching, public service, and research.
Chancellor's
Committee on the Status of Persons with Disabilities (CCSPD)
Co-chairs 2013-2014:
Carol
Gill, cg16@uic.edu,
(312) 355-0550; Mark Goedert,
mgoedert@uic.edu, (312) 413-9787
The mission of CCSPD is to promote empowerment and inclusion of
faculty, staff, and students with disabilities at UIC. CCSPD recognizes that
people with disabilities are a diverse group, including individuals with
visible and non-visible disabilities. This mission is motivated by our
goal to integrate all members of this diverse community into every aspect of
campus life.
Chancellor's
Committee on the Status of Women (CCSW)
Co-chairs 2013-2014:
Juanita
McCary, jmccary@uic.edu, (312) 996-9251; Karen
Peters, kpeters@uic.edu, (312) 413-4944
CCSW works to improve the status of women at UIC with a primary objective
to advise and make recommendations to the Chancellor regarding attitudes,
policies, and procedures that affect women staff, faculty, and students. The
committee will undertake projects and will also recommend changes in campus
structures, policies and programs as appropriate.
WEBSITES TO KNOW
THE
ILLINOIS Department of Central Management Services (CMS)
has issued a guide on the forthcoming State-sponsored health insurance plans,
which become effective on February 1,
2014. The URL is http://www2.illinois.gov/cms/Employees/benefits/trail/state/Documents/State_Guide.pdf .
THE CONTINUING CRISIS
 |
| The University has begun a reorganization of medical governance. |
ILLINOIS SENATE President John Cullterton said the
State’s pension debt is not a crisis, but an issue being pushed by business-backed
groups seeking lower income taxes at the expense of retiree benefits. See Oct.
21 Chicago Tribune, http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/politics/clout/chi-cullerton-pension-debt-not-a-crisis-but-about-lowering-taxes-20131020,0,4245590.story.\
UNIVERSITY CONSIDERING supplemental retirement benefit for
employees hired since 2011. Under pension reforms approved in 2010, employees
hired after Jan. 1, 2011, receive lower retirement benefits than those hired
before that date. See Oct. 29 News-Gazette,
http://www.news-gazette.com/news/local/2013-10-29/ui-considers-supplemental-retirement-benefit-new-hires.html.
ILLINOIS BUDGET picture bleak for years? See Oct. 29 News-Gazette, http://www.news-gazette.com/news/local/2013-10-29/report-illinois-budget-picture-will-be-bleak-years.html.
FEWER
TOP executive
officers at University? See Nov. 10 News-Gazette,
http://www.news-gazette.com/print/1221129.
CHANCELLOR
PAULA Allen-Meares’ contract
extended for one year. See Nov. 14 Chicago
Tribune, http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/chi-uic-chancellors-contract-extended-for-a-year-20131114,0,1121526.story.
Vol. 6, No. 10, November 2013
ISSN 1946-1860
Editor: William S. Bike
Staff: Neal Lorenzi, Gail Mansfield, Susan S. Stevens, Monica M. Walk
Vice Chair: Ahlam Al-Kodmany
Chair: Michael Moss
Secretary: Mary Berta
Treasurer: Agnes Kawalec
Web Chair: Jeff Alcantar
Web Chair: Jeff Alcantar
October 2, 2013
Committees Working Together to Address Shared Concerns
 |
| Participants at June’s COLLABORATE meeting. |
COLLABORATE IS the name of a newly emerging committee, with a goal of providing various groups across campus the opportunity to discuss these types of shared concerns and collectively work towards solutions. COLLABORATE currently includes representatives from the following:
- The Academic Professional Advisory Committee
- The Staff Advisory Council
- The UIC Senate
- The Chancellor’s Committee on the Status of Asian Americans
- The Chancellor’s Committee on the Status of Blacks
- The Chancellor’s Committee on the Status of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer People and Allies
- The Chancellor’s Committee on the Status of Women
- The Chancellor’s Committee on Sustainability and Energy
- The Chancellor’s Committee on the Status of Latinos
- The Chancellor’s Committee on the Status of Persons with Disabilities
- The UIC UNITED, the UIC Chapter of the State Universities Annuitants Association
- Diversity
- Equity
- Accessibility
- Sustainability
- Safety
- Professional Development
- Benefits & Compensation
- Awards & Recognition
UIC Human Resources Launches New Website
DESIGNED TO allow quicker response times to user needs, the site is built on a flexible content management engine so as to be easily updated. In addition, a feedback form has been integrated throughout the site. With a single click from any page, site users may offer comments, recommend changes, or request additional information. The feedback link will allow UIC Human Resources an opportunity to more easily communicate with employees.
CONCEIVED AS a single point of reference, the new website provides information alerts, timely articles, and links to Human Resources services. It can be used for obtaining information for exploring benefits, updating personal information, starting a new job, or hiring new staff,. The new website also will provide updates regarding changes to policies and procedures, new training opportunities, and insight into University human capital practices.
Politics and University Subject of Upcoming Forum
THE PANEL will feature Robert Easter, President, University of Illinois; Christopher Mooney, Director, Institute of Government and Public Affairs, University of Illinois; And Dick Simpson, Professor of Political Science, UIC. The moderator will be Mitchell Vogel, Trustee, State Universities Retirement System (SURS).
PARKING IS available at the Wood Street Parking Structure (WSPS), 1100 S. Wood St. Discounted parking coupons will be available for purchase at $7.
TO RSVP, go http://tinyurl.com/uiccampus or contact Debbie Matthews, debmatt18@gmail.com, (815) 254-3731, or Karen Scherman, kscherman@att.net, (630) 257-1491.
Speed Networking Event a Success; More Professional Development Events Planned
 |
| Attendees at APAC’s Speed Networking event. |
APAC HAS a new Professional Development committee, co-chaired by Donn Kamm, Office of Access and Equity, and Uma Sriram, Accounting Consulting Group. Virginia Buglio, College of Dentistry, is the third member of the committee. This was the committee’s first event, and five more events are already under development for the upcoming year. If you would like more information about the Professional Development committee, or if you would be interested in helping with future endeavors, please contact Kamm at donn@uic.edu, Sriram at usriram@uic.edu, and/or Buglio at vbuglio@uic.edu.
Job Analysis Updates Presented to a Full House
 |
A full house at APAC’s
Job Analysis Town Hall Event.
|
THE PRESENTERS shared a PowerPoint presentation with general information, and left ample time at the end of the event for audience questions. APAC will share a link to the PowerPoint presentation on PACADEMY soon.
THE PRESENTATION is now on the HR Website and the link is: http://www.hr.uic.edu/UserFiles/Servers/Server_1316432/File/d_compensation/APAC%20Town%20Hall%209_26_13.pdf
APAC offers special thanks to Agnes Kawalec for organizing and moderating the meeting.
APAC PROFILE
 |
| John Brach, new APAC member. |
IHRP HR’s John Brach Joins APAC
By Lucia Gonzalez
JOHN BRACH, Director of Human Resources, Institute
for Health and Research Policy (IHRP), has been employed by UIC for 17 years,
but he has been a part of the UIC community since he was an undergrad student
23 years ago.
INITIALLY, BRACH worked at the College of Business
Administration and the Office of the Associate Vice Chancellor for
Administration (OAVCA). In October 2004, he started working as the HR director
at the Institute for Health Research and Policy in the School of Public Health.
It was a big change for Brach to switch his focus from the administrative and
academic communities to the research community.
“I’M ALWAYS looking for ways to bring the unique
issues that research creates to the forefront and to the attention of the
campus decision makers so this important area can receive the special HR
attention it needs,” Brach said.
OVER THE years, Brach has faced quite a few
challenges due to HR changes that occasionally occur. However, the campus
has been able to evolve in such a way that the hiring and payroll process is
much smoother and more efficient than it was years ago, he said. Brach believes
that UIC has progressed immensely throughout the years he has been here.
“WORKING AT UIC has been great, and I’ve met a lot of
wonderful people in my career here and have learned a lot more than I ever
would have imagined,” Brach said. “Even after 17 years, there aren’t many days
that go by that I don’t learn something new.”
BRACH’S MAIN interest is in doing anything he can do
to help the campus be a better place to work. He goes out of his way to know
employees’ names and to learn what these individuals believe are working well,
and what things they believe could use improvements.
“I’VE ALWAYS enjoyed helping people and my main goals
have always been to recruit employees to work here, hire them, and make the
process easy so that they don’t have to worry about anything other than showing
up on time on their first day,” Brach explained.
AS A new member of APAC, Brach has not signed up for
any special committees, but is exploring how or where he might fit in best.
Since his experience has been centered on HR, he’d like to find a spot where he
can make a difference for UIC employees.
“BECAUSE WORK is such a huge part of our lives,”
Brach said, “it needs to be an area where individuals can feel accomplished. If
I can play some small role in helping that happen, I will feel like I’ve
accomplished what I’ve set out to do.”
TO CONTACT Brach, email jebrach@uic.edu.
AP RESOURCE SPOTLIGHT
THE CONTINUING CRISIS
ATTORNEYS ARGUE that retired State workers should not be required to pay premiums for health insurance. See Springfield State Journal-Register, Sept. 18: http://www.sj-r.com/breaking/x1837087108/States-high-court-hears-case-on-retiree-health-premiums#ixzz2fLMeIdO9.
Vol. 6, No. 9, October 2013
ISSN 1946-1860
Editor: William S. Bike
Staff: Lucia Gonzalez, Neal Lorenzi, Gail Mansfield, Susan S. Stevens, Monica M. Walk
Vice Chair: Ahlam Al-Kodmany
Chair: Michael Moss
Secretary: Mary Berta
Treasurer: Agnes Kawalec
Web Chair: Jeff Alcantar
Web Chair: Jeff Alcantar
August 27, 2013
Go Ahead and Submit Flexible Spending Claims; Don’t Wait for Slow-Paying State to Release Payments
EMPLOYEES MAY need to do a simultaneous “two-step” toward
receiving reimbursement for medical insurance claims. Do not go step-by-step,
because that can result in loss of flexible spending dollars.
KATIE ROSS, Human Resources Administration director for
the University of Illinois, reports continued delays in State reimbursements.
STATE FINANCIAL problems, with no end in sight, have caused
significant delays in reimbursing health-care providers—who in turn delay
reimbursing UIC employees for medical claims that they might have been required
to pay upfront at the time of service. Further, Ross reported, “If employees
wait until their medical claim payment is received before submitting their
Flexible Spending Account (FSA)/Medical Care Assistance Plan (MCAP) claim for
reimbursement, then they will risk submitting the FSA claim (claims incurred
July 1, 2013 through September 15, 2014) after September 30, 2014, which is the
end of the run-out period, in other words the ‘use it or lose it’ date.”
HOWEVER, EMPLOYEES can work around part of
that delay to avoid losing their FSA money. Rather than waiting for the State
and insurers, go ahead and file with your FSA/MCAP to recover out-of-pocket
expenses, said Kathleen Stauffer, Assistant Dean for Administration in
UIC’s College of Urban Planning and Public Affairs.
Ross reminds employees that they need to have a copy of
their health plan claim determination or Explanation of Benefits (EOB) from
their service provider to submit to WageWorksâ, the
FSA administrator, so that WageWorksâ
knows what amount insurance is going to pay and what amount the employee will
owe.
HERE’S HOW Stauffer does it. When she gets an
Explanation of Benefits from CIGNA, her insurance carrier, she prints it out
and sends it in with a claim to her FSA/MCAP plan. (The FSA/MCAP reduces your
taxable income by allowing you to set aside a portion of your income for
medical claim reimbursements.)
“THEY PRETTY much reimburse you right away,” Stauffer
said. “You don’t have to wait.” You do not have to risk losing money; if you
wait too long to submit to a flexible spending account, however, you may be
past the time limit to be reimbursed.
“THE DELAY in payment of Quality Care Health Plan
(QCHP) and Quality Care Dental Plan (QCDP) claims by the State is an ongoing
issue,” Ross said.
“SOME OF us are waiting three years for the State to
pay our providers,” Stauffer said. “I have never waited for the State to
actually pay before filing” with a Flexible Spending Account. “Otherwise, I too
would have lost money.”
ON AUG. 8, 2013, the Illinois Department of Central
Management Services (CMS) reported health claims were backlogged ten to 14
months. Claims processed through
Oct. 22, 2012, had been released to QCHP-contracted providers. Claims processed
through June 18, 2012, had been released to non-QCHP-contracted providers.
THOUGH THE stalls are mostly unabated, Ross tells of one
bright light. “We have seen improvement, somewhat, in payment of dental
claims,” she said. “The Non-Network dental claims are down to a 25-week delay
now, as opposed to a 45-week delay on July 1. The shortest wait would be for
using an In-Network dental provider, with a delay currently running about 11
weeks.”
FOR HELP if your healthcare provider is asking for payment
in full upfront for major services you cannot afford, such as surgery, contact CMS by
email at CMS.WebsiteBenefits@illinois.gov
or call (217) 558-4486.
FOR
INFORMATION on QCHP
and QCDP claims payments being released:
A BLOG from
March has more information, which Ross said has not changed much:
Moody’s Downgrades Bond Rating for U of I, Six other Universities
THE UNIVERSITY of Illinois and the other universities rely
heavily on funding from Illinois, which in June slid to Moody’s lowest bond
rating in the nation and the lowest in Illinois’ history because of its
underfunded pensions and record of slow payments of appropriated funds, Moody’s
spokesman David Jacobson said.
A DOWNGRADE may make it more expensive for an institution
to borrow, as a lower rating results in higher interest charges.
THE
UNIVERSITIES involved in the downgrade besides the
University of Illinois are Eastern Illinois University; Governors State
University; Illinois State University; Northeastern Illinois University;
Southern Illinois University, and Western Illinois University. Moody's issued
no change in Northern Illinois' A3 rating.
Speed Networking Event Set
APAC WILL host a Speed
Networking Event on Thursday,
Sept. 5, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. It is aimed at bringing together APs
interested in meeting their colleagues on campus, having a few minutes of
one-on-one discussion to learn about what other APs are doing, and making new
connections.
THIS EVENT will be held in the Molecular Biology
Research Building (MBRB), Room 1152.
TO
REGISTER, click https://uofi.uic.edu/fb/sec/3071740
or contact Donald Kamm at (312)
996-6424 or donn@uic.edu, or Uma Sriram at (312) 355-4935 or usriram@uic.edu.
Save the Date: October 14 Panel Featuring President Easter
 |
| President Robert Easter (right), with Provost Lon Kaufman. |
EASTER WAS appointed
President-Designate of the University of Illinois in March 2012. Before
becoming President, Easter spent his entire, nearly 40-year career as a senior
administrator and faculty member on the University’s Urbana-Champaign
campus.
ALL SURS eligible
faculty and staff are welcome to attend.
Governor Quinn Signs Employment First Act to Expand Opportunities for People with Disabilities
 |
| Governor Pat Quinn recently signed the Employment First Act. |
HOUSE BILL 2591 requires all State agencies to work together to make competitive employment for people with disabilities a priority and establish measurable goals and objectives for the State. The law requires the Employment and Economic Opportunity for Persons with Disabilities Task Force (EEOPWD) to monitor progress towards this mission. This Task Force includes advocates, individuals with disabilities, business community members, disability services providers, representatives of State agencies and other stakeholders.
ALL STATE agencies will be required to share data and information and ensure all policies, procedures, and practices are aligned to these goals and objectives.
FOR INFORMATION, call (312) 814-2121.
APAC Meetings Scheduled
ALL
APs are invited to
the monthly APAC meeting at 12:30 p.m. on the second Wednesday of the month.
Meetings are held either in Room 5175 of the College of Medicine Research
Building, 909 S. Wolcott, or Room 2750 of University Hall on the East Campus.
Next meeting is September 11 in Room 2750 of University Hall. For information,
call (312) 996-0306.
APAC Profile
APAC Member Ben Ramirez Fighting for AP Recognition
By Lucia Gonzalez
BEN RAMIREZ has worked at UIC for nine years as the Director of the Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) Facility in the Center for Structural Biology. Ramirez joined APAC because he felt that the roles and the value of Academic Professionals often are understated and underappreciated.
RAMIREZ’S MAIN responsibilities include maintaining the NMR instruments, coordinating the user schedule, training new users, and assisting with the implementation of new experiments. The instruments are used by UIC researchers to study molecules.
GROUPS IN Biochemistry use the NMR to study the structures and dynamics of proteins in solution. These groups also study how proteins interact with other proteins, biomolecules such as DNA, or small molecules.
“THE LATTER possibility is very exciting and very powerful, as this enables the potential discovery of novel therapeutic compounds,” Ramirez explained.
GROUPS IN Pharmacy use NMR to characterize and identify new small molecules—often referred to as natural products— with the goal of finding new therapeutics. Of course, there are various amounts of other research that is being conducted at UIC with NMR.
“WE ARE very fortunate here at UIC to have this instrumentation here on campus to be accessible to any researcher,” Ramirez said. “Our facility is equipped just as well as any other NMR facilities found in top-flight research institutions in this country.”
WHEN RAMIREZ first joined APAC, one of his first activities was being involved in serving on the search committee for the Vice Chancellor for Research. Ramirez considers this as a great learning experience that enabled him to meet with other UIC employees whom he may never have encountered in his typical work environment.
“BY BEING exposed to this small swath of UIC, one can begin to understand people’s different viewpoints,” Ramirez said. “This was also very illuminating and enriching.”
RAMIREZ GAINS a good deal of satisfaction in being able to use and share his knowledge and training to help shape and hone future researchers. His greatest hope is that his involvement with APAC yields improvements in job quality and stability for all APs. He would like to see more recognition and attention paid to APs involved in basic research, many of whom are at the front lines of research and contribute vastly to the UIC research enterprise.
“WHEN CHALLENGING economic or financial times arise, APs are often perceived as the most expendable,” mentioned Ramirez. “This group should also be recognized for their role in educating and training.”
BESIDES HIS research with NMR, Ramirez is engaged in several other collaborative research projects. Most of his time is spent with his wife, Sandra, and their two young daughters, ages 5 and 8. He enjoys outdoor activities such as biking and hiking. While at home he likes to cook, especially tinkering with recipes and adding his own twist and a personal touch. Ramirez particularly enjoys baking cookies at Christmastime to give to friends and family.
CONTACT RAMIREZ at bramirez@uic.edu.
By Lucia Gonzalez
BEN RAMIREZ has worked at UIC for nine years as the Director of the Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) Facility in the Center for Structural Biology. Ramirez joined APAC because he felt that the roles and the value of Academic Professionals often are understated and underappreciated.
RAMIREZ’S MAIN responsibilities include maintaining the NMR instruments, coordinating the user schedule, training new users, and assisting with the implementation of new experiments. The instruments are used by UIC researchers to study molecules.
GROUPS IN Biochemistry use the NMR to study the structures and dynamics of proteins in solution. These groups also study how proteins interact with other proteins, biomolecules such as DNA, or small molecules.
“THE LATTER possibility is very exciting and very powerful, as this enables the potential discovery of novel therapeutic compounds,” Ramirez explained.
GROUPS IN Pharmacy use NMR to characterize and identify new small molecules—often referred to as natural products— with the goal of finding new therapeutics. Of course, there are various amounts of other research that is being conducted at UIC with NMR.
“WE ARE very fortunate here at UIC to have this instrumentation here on campus to be accessible to any researcher,” Ramirez said. “Our facility is equipped just as well as any other NMR facilities found in top-flight research institutions in this country.”
WHEN RAMIREZ first joined APAC, one of his first activities was being involved in serving on the search committee for the Vice Chancellor for Research. Ramirez considers this as a great learning experience that enabled him to meet with other UIC employees whom he may never have encountered in his typical work environment.
“BY BEING exposed to this small swath of UIC, one can begin to understand people’s different viewpoints,” Ramirez said. “This was also very illuminating and enriching.”
RAMIREZ GAINS a good deal of satisfaction in being able to use and share his knowledge and training to help shape and hone future researchers. His greatest hope is that his involvement with APAC yields improvements in job quality and stability for all APs. He would like to see more recognition and attention paid to APs involved in basic research, many of whom are at the front lines of research and contribute vastly to the UIC research enterprise.
“WHEN CHALLENGING economic or financial times arise, APs are often perceived as the most expendable,” mentioned Ramirez. “This group should also be recognized for their role in educating and training.”
BESIDES HIS research with NMR, Ramirez is engaged in several other collaborative research projects. Most of his time is spent with his wife, Sandra, and their two young daughters, ages 5 and 8. He enjoys outdoor activities such as biking and hiking. While at home he likes to cook, especially tinkering with recipes and adding his own twist and a personal touch. Ramirez particularly enjoys baking cookies at Christmastime to give to friends and family.
CONTACT RAMIREZ at bramirez@uic.edu.
AP RESOURCE SPOTLIGHT
 |
| UIC has modern recreation facilities. |
WANT TO get some exercise or get in better shape? UIC has recreation facilities on both the East and West sides of campus that offer everything from Zumba and intramural sports to swimming, massage therapy, a climbing wall, and personal training, as well as an outdoor field complex and outdoor recreation courts for tennis, sand volleyball, basketball, jogging, and more.
SPECIAL
FACULTY/STAFF and
Family memberships are available.
THE
SPORT and Fitness
Center is located at 828 S. Wolcott St. Call (312) 413-5260. The Student
Recreation Facility is located at 737 S. Halsted St. Call (312) 413-5150. The
Bowling and Billiards Center is at Student Center East, 750 S. Halsted St. Call
(312) 413-5170. For more information, log on to http://recreation.uic.edu/.
THE CONTINUING CRISIS
 |
Tyrone Fahner of the
Civic Committee.
|
CIVIC COMMITTEE members work to talk down State bond rating to force pension cuts. See Progress Illinois, Aug. 5: http://www.progressillinois.com/posts/content/2013/08/05/unions-demand-answers-over-civic-committee-s-talks-downgrade-illinois-bond-?utm_source=PI+Extra+8.5.13&utm_campaign=PI+email+8.5.13&utm_medium=email
Vol. 6, No. 8, August 2013
ISSN 1946-1860
Editor: William S. Bike
Staff: Lucia Gonzalez, Neal Lorenzi, Gail Mansfield, Susan S. Stevens, Monica M. Walk
Vice Chair: Ahlam Al-Kodmany
Chair: Michael Moss
Secretary: Mary Berta
Treasurer: Agnes Kawalec
Web Chair: Jeff Alcantar
Web Chair: Jeff Alcantar
July 30, 2013
APAC Representatives Meet With President Easter
 |
APAC members and other
employee leaders met with President Robert Easter.
|
MICHAEL MOSS, APAC chairman, and two other APAC
representatives came away from their most recent meeting with University
President Robert A. Easter
expressing optimism with his take on University issues.
“IT WENT pretty well,” Moss said. The meeting
lasted about one hour, and it was “high level,” he added. APAC Vice Chair Ahlam Al-Kodmany reported, “It was nice
to see President Easter’s understanding and empathy.” Marelet Kirda, an APAC Senator, said, “It’s definitely a great
opportunity to hear the President’s perspective.”
THE THREE APAC members were joined in the
meeting at the President’s house in Urbana by representatives of the Urbana and
Springfield campuses who are on the University Professional Personnel Advisory
Committee (UPPAC). The June 11 meeting came toward the end of Easter’s first
year as U of I President, and the session won’t be the last, the three APAC
members said.
THE UNIVERSITY’S increasing dependence on tuition to
fund its operations was a recurrent theme, Kirda said. Easter said that the
American people at some point will say, “that’s enough,” and look at other ways
of funding universities. Since time was short, they did not get into a lot of
specifics, Moss said.
PENSION PLANNING drew further talk. Easter is “front
and center,” working on it, Al-Kodmany said. Easter said he is working in
collaboration with leadership from other State Universities to push a pension
plan developed by the Institute of Government Affairs to the “attention” of
State legislators. Lawmakers are looking at it, Al-Kodmany added. “This is
clearly a president who has rolled up his sleeves.”
IMPROVING ON efficiencies is a goal of the President’s, Al-Kodmany noted. For example, Easter asked why seven or eight
signatures need to be on a contract before it gets to him. He is “clearly not a
bureaucrat,” she added.
UNIVERSITY-BUSINESS partnerships were another focus.
Easter wants to build more ties to businesses, along with increasing endowments
and investments, to better fund University programs and support students, Kirda
said. UI LABS is an example of the kind of partnerships that can be developed,
she said. UI LABS is a pathway to obtain hundreds of millions of dollars in
private and government funding that wouldn’t otherwise be available for
Universities to pursue.
HE UNDERSTOOD that Academic Professional staff
should be recognized as major contributors to the University’s mission,
although he conceded the work of Academic Professionals is not discussed often
enough in public, Al-Kodmany said. “We are the foundation” for faculty and
student retention and promotion, she said. “It was like a light bulb that went
on when we talked about that.” He said,
‘You are absolutely correct.’”
SOMETIMES INDIVIDUALS
at high levels are “too politicized,” Al-Kodmany said, noting that “Their
responses have no depth”—but that is not the sense she got during the meeting
with Easter. “He was listening.” Moss agreed. “He has a level of understanding
of the University that is very unique.”
FURTHER MEETINGS will be scheduled, probably twice a year, Moss said. Easter is committed
to “continuing that engagement” with UPPAC. Kirda added that APAC also
appreciates the opportunities afforded to the group to meet with the Chancellor
and Provost a couple of times throughout the year.
ALL THREE APAC members believe the U of I is the
better for Easter’s time at the helm. Easter has agreed to stay on board for
two-and-a-half more years until June 30, 2015, when he will be 67 years old.
“Easter has provided strong leadership during challenging times – we will
definitely be sad to see him go,” Moss said.
WHEN THE U of I Board of Trustees approved
Easter as president in March 2012, he was asked to serve until June 2014. A new
agreement has extended his tenure by a year.
“THERE IS a consensus, and this is not just on
the board but throughout the institution, on campuses and among external
audiences, that this first year has gone very well indeed," said U of I
spokesman Tom Hardy.
FOR MORE about U of I private-public partnerships,
log on to:
http://research.uillinois.edu/innovation-infrastructure/interdisciplinary-research/ui-labs-future-today.
For University administration reviews and a message from President Easter, log
on to: http://www.uillinois.edu/uareview/.
For Springfield News-Gazette coverage
of Easter’s contract extension, log on to http://www.news-gazette.com/news/local/2013-07-19/easter-contract-be-extended-year.html.
New APAC Officers Named
APAC RECENTLY held an election for officers.
THE FOLLOWING individuals will serve in 2013-2014: Chair: Michael
Moss, Associate Director, Budget Operations and Financial Analysis, (312)
996-0306, mmoss2@uic.edu; Vice Chair: Ahlam Al-Kodmany, Director, Institute
for Health Research and Policy, (312) 996-7485, ryyan@uic.edu;
Secretary: Mary Berta, Assistant to
the Head, Department of Occupational Therapy, Allied Health Sciences, (312)
413-8355, mberta@uic.edu; and Treasurer: Agnes Kawalec, Visiting Center Coordinator, Center for Clinical and
Translational Science, (312) 413-7353, akawal2@uic.edu.
COMMITTEE CHAIRS also were chosen: Communications: William S. Bike, Director of
Advancement and Alumni Affairs Communications, College of Dentistry, (312)
996-8495, billbike@uic.edu; Chancellor’s
Academic Professional Excellence (CAPE): Al-Kodmany; Building Communications
and Education: Kawalec; Professional Development: Donn Kamm, Assistant Director, Office for Access and Equity, (312)
996-6424, donn@uic.edu, and Uma Sriram, Accounting Consulting,
Office of Business and Financial Services, (312) 355-4935, usriram@uic.edu; Representation: Margaret Moser, Director,
Administrative Operations, Vice President for Health Affairs, (312) 355-5701, mlmoser@uic.edu; and Bylaws: Berta and Colleen Piersen, Assistant head for
Administration, Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmacognosy, (312)
413-9299, cpiersen@uic.edu.
THE WEBMASTER is Jeff Alcantar, Assistant Director for Web Services, Office of
Business and Financial Services, (312) 996-0959, alcanta1@uic.edu. University Professional
Personnel Advisory Committee (UPPAC) Representatives are Al-Kodmany; Moss; and Marelet Kirda, Assistant to the Vice
Chancellor for Research, (312) 996-6174, brugada@uic.edu.
UPPAC alternates are Jacquie Berger, Director
of Communications, Vice Chancellor for Research, (312) 413-0075, jacquieb@uic.edu; Deidre Rush, Associate Director, Financial Aid
Office, (312) 996-5563, deidreb@uic.edu;
and Berta/
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