September 23, 2014
UIC Staffer Forms Tech Group to Work on Pension Crisis
 |
Dennis Roarty may be
wearing a DePaul shirt, but he is a former staffer for the UIC College of
Education and now consults with UIC. He has formed a tech group to work on
Illinois’s pension crisis.
|
DENIS ROARTY was looking for an educational topic to
explore when he first attended an “Open Gov Hack Night” at the technology
start-up 1871 Technology Center in the Merchandise Mart. Instead, as a “future
retiree,” he decided to start a group that is examining Illinois’s pension
problems.
THE OPEN City organization (www.opencityapps.org) hosted the event,
and hosts other Open Gov Hack Nights as well. Open City is a group that creates
apps with open data to improve transparency and understanding of government.
Open Gove Hack Nights (http://opengovhacknight.org/)
are for individuals interested in building, sharing, and learning about civic
technology.
A FULL-TIME software developer for the College of
Education at UIC until earlier this year, Roarty now is a consultant for UIC
and has begun his own company, Co-Knowledge.org.
“I WANT to see the pension problem solved in a sane way,” Roarty said.
Right now, the pension reform is so complex that it needs close examination in
various ways. “It is hard for people – pensioners, taxpayers, to make any sense
of it all,” he added.
“ALL WE WANT to do is create a model that is
acceptable to both sides of the debate,” Roarty said. “We want to bypass all
the complex formulas and rules that don’t really mean anything to those
people.”
“OUR GOAL is through this modeling, taxpayers and
pensioners can see clearly what portion of this $80 billion in debt is going to
fall into their laps,” he added. The group is downloading data, largely
actuarial reports, that are available online. By using the data, people will be
able to model their own pension figures or look at the State as a whole.
ROARTY PITCHED the idea to the Open Gov group about six
weeks ago in the tech center, and now has a number of collaborators. An
economist, a lawyer, two data scientists, and two programmers have joined his
team. Additional members are welcome to attend the sessions at that begin at 6
p.m. Tuesdays in the 1871 Technology Center in the Merchandise Mart’s Suite
1212.
FOR THE pension analysis, Roarty said, “We can see that as a good use
of public data.” If the group has difficulty obtaining information, it will
file Freedom of Information requests. Once all possible online information is
collected, the group will move on to do models of current pension plans,
proposed pension reform plans, and plans from other states. Membership guides
and other outside sources will be searched. “At some point, we need to start
consulting with experts,” he said. “We know that is going to be a very complex
process.”
“WE WANT this to be agnostic of political views”
when the group reaches its conclusions, Roarty said. “Repairing
the underfunded system will impact current pensioners and taxpayers as well as
future pensioners and future taxpayers. Our goal is to create a context that
simplifies the complex formulas and lets pensioners and taxpayers draw their
own conclusions and understandings so they can inform the political debate, not
us.”
A RESEARCH assistant professor in UIC’s School of
Public Health, Alexander “Sasha”
Gutfraind also is a participant in Open Hack Night.
“THE OPEN Gov Hack group
is unique in serving valuable public missions, while at the same time helping
the hackers network and master powerful analytical tools,” Gutfraind said. “I
have not found a project yet, but generally I am interested particularly in
work that is relevant to public health, which is the area of my research at
UIC. Perhaps I will start a new project to lead this work.”
OPEN GOV Hack Night is organized by Open City and
documented by the Smart Chicago Collaborative. On a recent Tuesday, more than
50 people, most under 40 and most men, met at 6 p.m. for the opening session
with free pizza. They heard a presentation from a group that explained how data
has been mined for revealing which City lots will be sold for $1 to current
residents of two impoverished neighborhoods. At 7 p.m., the group broke up into
smaller gatherings such as Roarty’s which had a half-dozen in it.
FOR NEWCOMERS, Christopher
Whitaker each week leads an orientation session to teach what civic hacking
is all about. Others teach programming. Various aspects of transportation,
education, the environment, and social service delivery are among the topics
being probed.
FOR MORE information about the pension group,
contact Roarty at droarty@uic.edu or droarty@yahoo.com. Gutfraind is at
agutfraind.research@gmail.com. Open Gov Hack Night details are at www.opengovhacknight.org.
APAC Coordinates Town Hall with President Easter
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APAC will coordinate a
Town Hall meeting with President Robert A. Easter.
|
PRESIDENT EASTER will discuss the state of the University.
THE EVENT is open to all staff, faculty, staff and
students, and you will have an opportunity to submit questions for President
Easter during registration.
A BRIEF additional Q&A will conclude the event.
THE EVENT is coordinated by APAC (http://uicapac.blogspot.com/) and will be
webcast at: http://www.ustream.tv/channel/uic-apac.
FOR QUESTIONS, contact Michael Moss, APAC Chair, at mmoss2@uillinois.edu.
Kamm Leaves APAC
DON KAMM, Assistant Director of the Office of
Access and Equity, has resigned as an APAC member “due to increased
work-related demands in OAE,” said Michael
Moss, Chair of APAC. “Donn has played a vital role getting our Professional
Development Committee established and we very much appreciate his service to
APAC and the campus.”
BENEFIT BEAT
By Katherine Vega
DISPUTE RESOLUTION Services (DRS) is a resource available
to all staff, as well as faculty and students, that provides interpersonal
counseling services for those facing conflicts in the workplace or the
classroom.
“DRS PROVIDES private consultation, facilitation, and
mediation services to faculty, staff, and students on a wide variety of
issues,” said Kathy Irving,
Assistant Equal Opportunity Officer. They work by exploring the concerns of the
affected parties, meeting with the parties together, and ultimately helping the
students, faculty, or staff members come up with a solution to their problem.
DRS IS a proactive program that aims to help
solve problems before they grow bigger. “Its purpose is to bring parties to a
mutually agreeable resolution of differences before they escalate into formal
time-intense grievances, charges, or costly lawsuits,” said Irving.
PEOPLE CAN contact DRS in a wide range of
situations, but early intervention is encouraged. “It is suggested that as soon
as an individual believes there is unresolved conflict in the workplace, they
should contact DRS for an initial consultation,” added Irving. Common issues
that DRS mediators address are interpersonal conflicts, lack of communication,
toxic work environments, and unclear job expectations.
DRS ENSURES that all inquiries are handled on a
case-by-case basis, so there is no “typical” solution to any problem. “Because
each inquiry is different…the appropriate handling of an inquiry is best
determined only after an initial consultation,” concluded Irving.
AP RESOURCE SPOTLIGHT
 |
The Women’s Leadership
and Resource Center and Campus Advocacy Network are located north of Roosevelt
Road and east of Halsted Street just north of the UIC Forum.
|
THE WOMEN’S Leadership and Resource
Center/Campus Advocacy Network has found a new home in Room 286, 728 W.
Roosevelt Rd. The new location is
spacious and accessible.
THE FACILITIES have a comfortable lounge,
work stations, Wi-Fi, gender neutral bathrooms, a lactation relaxation room, a
library, a kitchen, a conference room, and programming space with a projector.
THE CENTER and network are open
Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
CALL (312) 413-1025 for assistance or
information
THE WOMEN’S Leadership and Resource
Center helps educate and empower the UIC campus on women's issues, and provides
a safe environment for women-identified people. See
http://www.uic.edu/depts/owa/.
THE CAMPUS Advocacy Network is the
confidential campus resource for staff, students, and faculty regardless of
social identity who have been victims of sexual assault, domestic and dating
violence, stalking, and hate crimes. Advocates will identify all of the options
available based on each individual's unique experience with interpersonal violence,
and then assist the individual with those options he or she chooses to pursue.
For an appointment, call (312) 413-8206. See http://www.uic.edu/depts/owa/advocacy.html.
Vol. 7, No. 8, September 2014
ISSN 1946-1860
Editor: William S. Bike
Staff: Neal Lorenzi, Gail Mansfield, Susan S. Stevens, Katherine Vega, Monica M. Walk
Chair: Michael Moss
Vice Chair: Ahlam Al-Kodmany
Secretary: Mary Berta
Treasurer: Colleen Piersen
Web Chair: Jeff Alcantar
Web Chair: Jeff Alcantar
August 27, 2014
Town Hall with President Easter
Monday, October 6, 2014
11:30am to 12:30pm
M. Thompson Rooms, Student Center West
Register by Friday, September 26, 2014:
https://uofi.uic.edu/fb/sec/2024760
Please join us for a Town Hall with University of Illinois President Robert Easter on the state of the University.
The event is open to all faculty, staff and students, and you will have an opportunity to submit questions for President Easter during registration.
A brief additional Q&A will conclude the event.
This event is coordinated by APAC and will be webcast at:
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/uic-apac
For questions, contact Michael Moss at mmoss2@uillinois.edu.
Attorney General Lisa Madigan Obtains $2.6 Million for SURS
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| Attorney General Lisa Madigan announced a settlement with Bank of America that will provide $2.6 million for SURS. |
ILLINOIS
WILL recover $200 million to the State’s pension systems and $100
million in consumer relief from the $17 billion settlement. “This brings the
total my office has recovered for the State’s pension systems to $344 million,”
Madigan said.
A TOTAL
of $2.6 million will go to the State Universities Retirement
System (SURS). The rest of the money will be go the Illinois Teachers
Retirement System and the State Board of Investment, the latter of which
oversees the State Employees Retirement System, the General Assembly Retirement
System, and Judges Retirement System.
THE
SETTLEMENT “is the third agreement I have secured as part of my work on the
Department of Justice’s Residential Mortgage-Backed Securities Working Group
and the fourth enforcement action I have taken against Bank of America,”
Madigan said.
MADIGAN
ADDED that the “settlement
with Bank of America will help Illinois recover its losses from the dangerous
and deceptive securities that put our economy on the path to destruction. Even
six years later, we are still cleaning up the mess Wall Street created with its
reckless investments and fraudulent conduct.”
APAC News Surpasses 100,000 Hits
 |
| (Image courtesy Lessons from the Lamp Post) |
“THIS
HIGH number is a testament to the close
attention that UIC Academic Professionals and others pay to information that
affects both the University and these individuals’ work lives,” said William S. Bike, editor of APAC News.
State's Backlog of Bills Falls by 60%
THE BACKLOG of bills is now
closer to the typical private industry 30-day billing standard.
THE OFFICE of the Governor
stated that the change was “a direct result of the Governor's willingness to
make the tough decisions including overhauling the Medicaid program, reforming
worker's compensation and unemployment insurance systems, and implementing
major efficiencies such as closing and consolidating more than 50 State
facilities.”
Speed Networking Events Scheduled
APAC WILL host two Speed Networking events.
SPEED NETWORKING is aimed at bringing together Academic Professionals 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.
THE WEST Campus event will be held in the College of Medicine Research Building, 909 S. Wolcott, Room 6175m on Tuesday, Sept. 9, noon to 1:30 p.m. To register, click here: WEST CAMPUS 9/9/2014.
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 the College of Medicine Research Building (CMRB),
909 S. Wolcott, or Room 2750 of University Hall on the East Campus. Next
meeting is Sept. 10 from 12:30 to 2 p.m. in 2750 UH. For information, call
(312) 996-0306.
APAC PROFILE
 |
| Julie C. Kong, Director of Research Services in the Dean’s Office at the School of Public Health, and APAC member. |
By Katherine Vega
JULIE
C. KONG, the Director of
Research Services in the Dean’s Office at the School of Public Health, has
spent more than half her life at UIC. “UIC is one of those places that many
people such as myself keep coming back to!” said Kong.
AFTER
RECEIVING
her degree in in nutrition and dietetics from the College of Applied Health
Sciences and working as a dietitian, she came back as a teaching assistant in
the Department of Nutrition and Medical Dietetics in 1984 and became an
instructor and the Coordinator of the Undergraduate Dietetics Program the
following year.
KONG
SERVED
in other roles outside of UIC but came back again to become the Administrative
Director of the first UIC Cancer Center in 1996. “In 1999, I came to the School
of Public Health to start the pre-awards research office,” she said. Kong has
been there ever since.
THE
SCHOOL
of Public Health’s Office of Research Services, an office with a staff of three
pre-awards sponsored project specialists, helps pre-award researchers get their
proposals organized and submitted to federal and non-profit organizations. This
may sound like a broad set of tasks—and it is.
KONG’S
OFFICE
provides “full-service proposal development for faculty and students,” she
said. In addition to hosting grant workshops and searching for funding
opportunities, the Office of Research Services also organizes the Annual SPH
Research Day. “We have a diverse set of other responsibilities…such as writing
and organizing the content for the research section of the College’s website,
managing the scientific peer review process, running the College’s Seed Funding
Competition and poster office, and analyzing the research activities of the
college,” said Kong.
“MY
GOAL
is to continue to advance research in the college and support the development
of my staff, who are the foundation of the office,” Kong said. “It is critical
for pre-awards research offices to be visionary and develop new strategies to
expand their enterprise to further support faculty.”
OFFICES
SUCH as
Research Services are crucial to providing investigators the means to grow
their research portfolio. A strong administrative backing of that process is
essential to innovation and exploration, according to Kong. “The field of
research administration has really progressed over the past few years,” she
said. “In particular, having a pre-awards research office provides endless
possibilities in creating something ‘new.’”
“THERE
ARE new relationships that are being
fostered for collaborations, the training of new investigators on how to prepare their first grant proposal, and
the developing of new initiatives for
the college,” she continued.
FOR
KONG,
joining APAC was an easy decision. “APAC is valuable because they are the
advocate for the interests of all Academic Professionals,” she said. She also
appreciates what APAC represents to her. A fan of both acronyms and
advancement, she believes that “Activism is Positive and Affects
Change.”
KONG
KNOWS
that staff members are some of the most important members of the UIC community,
and this translates to her work with APAC. “I am currently part of the
Professional Development Committee because I enjoy supporting the personal and
professional growth of one of our campus’ most valuable resources—our staff,”
she said.
KONG’S
STAFF
of pre-awards sponsored projects specialists are Academic Professionals. “As
research administrators, it is essential that they have the resources to grow
in their careers so that their talents can be further enhanced for their jobs,”
said Kong.
“UIC
HAS
many wonderful and hard-working Academic Professionals and APAC works extremely
hard to recognize and retain these professionals,” she concluded.
TO
CONTACT Kong,
email jckong@uic.edu.
THE CONTINUING CRISIS
UNIVERSITY AT risk from Illinois budget woes? S&P offers warning. Crain’s Chicago Business, Aug. 1: http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20140801/NEWS02/140809966/state-universities-at-risk-from-illinois-budget-woes-s-p-warns
ILLINOIS GOVERNMENT shutdown, mass firings of public workers? International Business Times, Aug. 4: http://www.ibtimes.com/bruce-rauner-gop-candidate-illinois-governor-promises-government-shutdown-mass-firing-1648244
Vol. 7, No. 7, August 2014
ISSN 1946-1860
Editor: William S. Bike
Staff: Neal Lorenzi, Gail Mansfield, Susan S. Stevens, Katherine Vega, Monica M. Walk
Chair: Michael Moss
Vice Chair: Ahlam Al-Kodmany
Secretary: Mary Berta
Treasurer: Colleen Piersen
Web Chair: Jeff Alcantar
Web Chair: Jeff Alcantar
July 30, 2014
AP Leaders from Three Campuses
Meet with President Easter
 |
Standing, left to right:
Colleen Piersen (Chicago APAC Treasurer), Marilyn Marshall (Assistant Vice
President for Academic Affairs), Michael Moss (Chicago APAC Chair), Melissa
Madsen (UIUC AP representative), Mary Berta (Chicago APAC Secretary), Todd Spinner
(UIUC AP representative), Teresa Szabo (UIS APAC), Laura Alexander (UIS Sr.
Director Human Resources), and Katie Ross (UA Director, Human Resources
Administration). Seated, left to right: Elyne Cole (Associate Provost for Human
Resources), UI President Robert Easter, Ahlam Al-Kodmany (Chicago APAC
Vice-Chair), and Maureen Parks (UA Executive Director & Associate Vice
President for Human Resources).
|
BERTA COMMENTED, “It was great to meet colleagues from
Urbana and Springfield in person and to discuss our shared concerns. President
Easter provided an overview of the large machinery that UI really is and it
gave me a better perspective on how complex an operation University of Illinois
really is.” Al-Kodmany added, “Meeting with our UPPAC [University Professional Personnel Advisory Committee] colleagues from Urbana and
Springfield is an annual highpoint.”
CHICAGO REPRESENTATIVES shared a number of concerns related
to Job Analysis—the delayed timeline, lengthy gaps in communication for those
undergoing the process, and concerns related to unintended consequences for APs
who have not yet undergone Job Analysis. They also commented that these
concerns are likely to be exacerbated in the coming weeks as the largest and
most complex college, the College of Medicine, progresses through Job Analysis.
AL-KODMANY NOTED, “This year UPPAC had a very
productive discussion around the Job Analysis process at UIC in comparison to
the Job Analysis and audit results in Urbana and Springfield. One notable take-away
from the meeting is learning that the University’s Board of Trustees and
President are actively engaged in addressing the profound impact the audit and
conversion process is having on the campuses and employees. If action is to be
taken regarding a resolution of the audit findings and pending conversions in
Urbana, the question remains, ‘will there be retroactive redress of conversions
in Chicago based upon the actions taken in Urbana?’”
Court Ruling May Foreshadow Overturning
of Pension Reform Law
 |
The Illinois Supreme
Court ruled strongly in favor of protection of pension benefits.
|
RETIREES BEGAN paying a health insurance premium
last year, and the Kanerva suit
sought to restore the earlier situation of retirees not having to pay health
insurance costs.
THE COURT wrote, “It is clear that if something
qualifies as a benefit of the enforceable contractual relationship resulting
from membership in one of the State’s pension or retirement systems, it cannot
be diminished or impaired.” That protection extends to health insurance
promised to retirees, the court ruled.
“WE ARE obliged to resolve that doubt in
favor of the members of the State’s public retirement systems,” the court also
wrote.
WHILE THE immediate result is that making retirees pay
for part of their pension was ruled unconstitutional, the ruling has larger
implications. Since the court ruled that health benefits were protected, if it
follows its own precedent it also is likely to rule the State’s pension reform
legislation, signed into law in December, unconstitutional as well. That law
would reduce retirees’ cost-of-living adjustments, increase the retirement age
for some employees, and cap pensionable earnings..
A SANGAMON County judge had postponed the
pension reform law taking effect until courts make a final ruling on legal
challenges to it.
THE STATE Universities Annuitants Association
(SUAA) and the other plaintiffs believe that "Kanerva is a huge win in the battle for pension rights and a strong
indication that pension rights will in the end be vindicated,” wrote Linda L. Brookhart, Executive Director,
SUAA
UIC NEWS on July 8 wrote that the ruling “may
foreshadow the success of challenges to pension legislation.”
“I THINK it’s very likely that the [pension
reform] law is going to be massively overturned by the court,” said David Merriman, Professor of Economics
and Public Administration, in that UIC
News article.
“I BELIEVE this bodes very well for overturning
most of the new pension law because this health insurance ruling will be used
to argue in favor of not cutting the benefits,” said Brenda Russell, President of the UIC SUAA, in that UIC News article.
THE ARTICLE went on to note that Merriman said the
recent ruling signals that the Supreme Court is unlikely to accept the State’s
argument that changing the pension system is necessary because of financial
emergency.
THE CHICAGO TEACHERS Union blog of July 3 said, “The law in
Illinois is now crystal clear: Politicians cannot break the promises
made…concerning retirement benefits,” and that legislators “cannot fix the past
failures of politicians to fund adequately our retirement benefits by cutting
those benefits…”
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