This is mainly about the pattern of partisan behavior and obvious discrimination at certain levels of campus administration here...
True diversity has little to do with Chief Illiniwek--one just has to look at the enrollment numbers of the University of Illinois to confirm this. The University of Illinois is the most diverse school in the big ten and in the top ten in diversity amongst its peer institutions. These are feats it achieved while Chief Illiniwek was still the official symbol of the University - since the retirement the numbers of underrepresented minorities attending Illinois have actually dropped. My point is that with the resources that these administrators are shamefully employing against the free speech of students they don't agree with, we could be aiding students of color and non-traditional students in their quest for a quality higher education or more accessible services.
The administrators involved in the email scandal have been chronic in their questionable use of University time and state money. I find it grossly questionable that while the student government prepared to admonish those of whom I speak, a paid student employee from the offices of Student Affairs and Intercultural Relations was attending the meetings deciding the language that would chastise her employer, and arguing on their behalf. Chicago-style politics and sending spies to student events has no place in the ‘marketplace of ideas’ our University should be.
Our President, Stan Ikenberry, was in the news this week for his repudiation of a broad cut in the state budget because of its disastrous effects for the University, and rightfully so. We are not being treated fairly or justly by a helpless state government. However, in fiscal years 2004 to 2008 the budget for administrators and their assistants in Student Affairs grew by nearly a quarter while civil service employees full time equivalent in the same office fell by over 13%. This University is laying people off at the bottom of the food chain, families are suffering. I ask you, "for what?" Are we protecting the projects of the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs and OIIR that are making my dream of a truly diverse campus a divisive one? Is it so that students can be disrespected? President Ikenberry also talked about a potential 20% increase in tuition--will we raise tuition at the University of Illinois beyond the budgets of middle class families while paying for weekend retreats of indoctrination or for administrators to count how many people of color attend students for Chief Illiniwek's event? In these tough times students at the University can afford administrators with an opinion, but not ones with agendas.
The reason I brought this up is because some administrators are lying to protect their jobs and prevent an ethics review. Some of them have gone so far as to claim that this resolution calling for a review of their offices is being 'taken over by pro-mascot fanatics' and urged all people to come out in opposition to it. As you can see, the resolution explicitly goes out of its way to say it has no position on the former university symbol. In fact, ISS called for a new mascot a couple weeks ago, so it's obvious that they are lying...
Illinois Student Senate Resolution
Students’ Constitutional Rights
Whereas, Supreme Court Justice William Brennan wrote "the vigilant protection of constitutional freedoms is nowhere more vital than in the community of American school", that "the classroom is peculiarly the 'marketplace of ideas’", and "the Nation's future depends upon leaders trained through wide exposure to that robust exchange of ideas which discovers truth out of a multitude of tongues, [rather] than through any kind of authoritative selection," and
Whereas, the US Constitution guarantees via the doctrine of incorporation that entities "shall make no law...abridging the freedom of speech...or the right of the people to peaceably assemble," and
Whereas, the Office of Inclusion and Intercultural Relations deems its mission as "providing students educational opportunities about the various dimensions of diversity and intersections of identities," and
Whereas, the administration has conducted itself in a shameful manner in their discreet attempts to abridge the freedoms of speech and peaceful assembly against the Registered Student Organization Students for Chief Illiniwek, and
Whereas, this resolution does not take a stance either for or against the re-institution of the former symbol of the University of Illinois, the Registered Student Organization involved or the event in question, and
Whereas, this resolution is neither a vote of no confidence or a call for resignation of any administrator involved, and
Whereas, despite individual’s political views, we believe it unacceptable for the administration to act to infringe in any way upon fundamental freedoms and liberties, and
Whereas, these ill-advised actions are the latest in a pattern of unethical abuses of power by the University administration, and
Whereas, this regretful exhibition personifies a disconnect between students and the Offices of Student Affairs and Inclusion and Intercultural Relations constitutes a massive breach of trust derived from our consent and faith to be under their educational supervision, and
Whereas, students are charged monetary fees, a portion of which is allocated to ensure the continued operation of the Assembly Hall with the understanding of our potential use of the facility, and
Whereas, the appropriation of funds to constitute the salaries of administrators promoting their political views unconstitutionally upon the campus is particularly unnerving during this economic crisis, and
Whereas, administrators have refused to publicly address this body regarding this unjustifiable exertion of their authority, thereby absolving themselves of their responsibility and accountability to the elected student leaders of this campus, and
Whereas, the Committee on the Use of Facilities, which includes student representation, exists to oversee the operations of campus property
Therefore, let it be resolved that, the Illinois Student Senate as the "Official Voice of the Student Body" at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign does fundamentally and whole-heartedly disagree with the administrators who attempted to abridge our most fundamental constitutional rights, and
Let it be further resolved that, the Illinois Student Senate calls upon the Board of Trustees to commission a panel with student participation charged to thoroughly review the Offices of Student Affairs and Inclusion and Intercultural Relations, and
Let it be further resolved that, the Illinois Student Senate recommends the power to decide the use of facilities for registered student organizations for spaces, both interior and exterior, exceeding a capacity of 250 occupants be transferred from the Office of Student Affairs to the Committee on the Use of Facilities, and
Let it be further resolved that, on behalf of the student body, we hereby reinforce our declaration that administrators are expected to conduct themselves with the highest degree of integrity and honor, and
Let it be further resolved that, this resolution be delivered to the Chair and members of the University of Illinois Board of Trustees, the Office of the President of the University of Illinois, the Office of Chancellor of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs, the Associate Chancellor for Inclusion and Intercultural Relations, and the University Ethics Officer.