ISU students hoping to make a positive impact by voting on Election Day
Illinois State University is giving students the opportunity to vote today on campus for the 2024 election. Students can vote from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. in the Brown Ballroom at the Bone Student Center. When entering the first floor of the Bone Student Center, students can vote and register to vote at the Brown Ballroom, visit tables answering questions regarding voting and high-five Reggie near the voting location. If voters are still in line at 7 p.m., they are entitled to vote. At 10 a.m. today, the line outside the Brown Ballroom of interested voters was short and moved fast. However, the line inside the Brown Ballroom was long. The Center for Civic Engagement has encouraged students all semester long to vote early to avoid waiting in a potential long line on Election Day. ISU students said this year's election has caused them anxiety as they are worried about how it will impact the United States moving forward. Senior physical education major Julie Crews is anxious about this election and shared why she decided to vote. “I just knew it was a big election. I was not going to do it at first, but I was reminded of how big this election was,” Crews said. “I just thought that I should vote, and I’m glad that I did.” Senior special education major Amanda Stringer shared her joy in being able to vote in this year’s election. “It feels good,” Stringer said. “It feels like I’m really making a change and really impacting the world. I just can’t describe the feeling.” Junior finance and economics major Alessia Lowe explained why she chose to vote on Election Day as opposed to voting early. “It just feels more official and authentic. There’s just something special about voting on Election Day,” Lowe said. Senior horticulture and landscape management major Tommy Hayes said he feels prepared for the election. “I feel good, my faith comes first in everything I do. I try to make it that way, and I feel that this is the first time I’ve used my faith and made this election my own thing, as I have researched both candidates,” Hayes said. This year is the first time Hayes is voting in a presidential election. Hayes said the voting experience feels “insane.” “[This] feels kind of nuts,” Hayes said. “I was about six or seven months too young to vote in the last [presidential] election. The last one was also crazy and being able to have a say in this one is also kind of nuts, but I’m excited.” Hayes also chose to vote on Election Day for more “intention” rather than participating in early voting. “I was always used to seeing my parents vote on Election Day. It just feels like the intentional way to do it,” Hayes said. “That’s what Election Day is for.”
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- Ewing Manor to hold annual tour this weekendEwing Manor will host its annual architecture tour from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, April 5. Tickets cost $25 per person. Those interested in rich history are encouraged to attend. The tour will be available at 10 a.m., 11 a.m., noon and 1 p.m. Reservations are required. Space is limited to 12 people per tour. Guides will show all 44 rooms of the manor. The tour will last approximately two and a half hours. All details can be found here.
- The Fight for Fairness: The breaking pointFrustration grows, and a strike is imminent as demands remain unmet. On Friday, Special Education Associate Professor Mark Zablocki and assistant history professors Taylor Soja and Camille Cole collaborated to provide updates on the United Faculty of Illinois State University (UF). At the end of February, UF announced that there would be discussions of striking due to the slow progress in reaching an agreement. Some members displayed signs outside their office doors indicating their readiness to strike. Significant steps have been taken toward action. In early March, Cole said UF had taken a strike authorization vote, which authorized their table team to file with the Illinois Labor Relations Board. “There was another mediation session immediately after, where the administration made a little bit of movement but really not the kind of movement that we need to see,” Cole said. “After, the table team did choose to file it with the board this past Monday.” UF members are currently undergoing the state-mandated 10-day cooling-off period. According to Soja, the earliest potential strike date would be April 4. Cole added to the discussion by reminding that UF will continue to hold sessions throughout this period. Sessions sometimes last for hours, with one even being held during bad weather. “The last mediation session, they were there for 11 hours–that day of the tornado–they all had to go inside the building. That's just to say that however long they would need to be in that room, that's what we're gonna do,” Cole said. In the event of a strike, students should anticipate that a professor participating in the strike will not conduct classes, update Canvas, check their email, do service work for the University or engage in other related activities. “There are also people who teach classes who are not part of our unit, so people who are non-tenure track faculty are not allowed to strike because of the way that U.S. labor law works. Those classes presumably will still happen,” Cole said. On Friday, a University-wide email was sent to all students and faculty. The response included tentative agreements reached by the parties during the session on Friday. It was stated that these agreements pertained to non-economic issues. “We're just focusing on the bargaining and on trying to make movement for the faculty at the table,” Cole said. According to the email, negotiation sessions are now scheduled for April 1-4. As a strike looms, rallies increase in numbers. On Thursday, over 200 individuals attended the UF rally on the Quad. Pressure was applied to the University as members chanted and marched around campus, continuing to demonstrate their willingness to fight for a fair contract. Illinois Representative Sharon Chung and Illinois State Senator Dave Koehler attended the rally to show support for UF. They gave speeches alongside many others who were there in support. “What really stuck out to me is what Camille was talking about: how this has kind of gotten people from different departments together who normally wouldn't get together,” Zablocki said. “For the past four years, we've been having conversations with people all across campus. We tried to talk to every single faculty member–650 of them–so we made every attempt to talk to everybody. I think yesterday was really a show of unity," Zablocki continued. Zablocki, Soja and Cole agreed that they have seen more interest from students due to the rallies growing in numbers. “I think a lot of faculty have been talking to students outside of class and answering the questions that they come to us with about what the union is and how it all works, but also what we're fighting for,” Soja said. “And I can speak for myself and say that, when I've talked to students outside of class, there's real frustration. I feel like they're very much in it with us," Soja continued. Cole said that students are able to contribute to UF’s efforts in numerous ways. Students can write to President Aondover Tarhule through the link on UF’s Instagram to urge him to direct his table team to work on an agreeable offer for everyone. “Follow us on socials… But also, talk to your friends, talk to your parents. The more that the community knows and that people who have a stake in the University, and the more that those people are also reaching out to the administration, the more likely it is that they settle a fair contract with us,” Cole said. At the end of the discussion, the three shared a few thoughts that summarized the emotions within UF. Zablocki shared that among the frustrations, he felt uplifted by the interest from students. “I teach pre-service teachers, and most of them will join a union. Talking more about unions and what they mean for the country has made me feel pretty good,” Zablocki said. Soja agreed with Zablocki’s statement and said the feeling was mutual. Cole also shared similar feelings. “I feel similar. Tired, frustrated, a little bit anxious. But I am also ready; I am ready to fight if that's what they're gonna insist on,” Cole said.
- Illinois State University and Heartland Community College to host Southeast Asian Cultural FestivalIllinois State University and Heartland Community College (HCC) will be hosting the Southeast Asian Cultural Festival from April 1 through April 4. These events are free and open to the public. Here is a full schedule of events being held: Tuesday, April 1 at HCC Main Campus There will be a guest lecture with speaker Robby Anggriawan from 9:30-10:45 a.m. in the Welcome Room of the Workforce Development Center (WDC). There will be a religious panel discussion with monk Bhante Rahula from 11 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. in the Leadership Room of the WDC. Lunch from Dang and Thai House will be served during the Le Hien Minh documentary showing and nail salon from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in the Multicultural Room of the WDC. A presentation titled “Empowering Young Entrepreneurs: The Role of Education and Support Systems in Vietnam” will be given by Mai Nguyen Lisovich from 12:30-1:45 p.m. in the Leadership Room of the WDC. There will be a Muay Thai boxing event from 2-3:15 p.m. in the Welcome Room of the WDC. There will be a guided meditation session from 2-3:15 p.m. in the Multicultural Room of the WDC. There will be a screening of the “Cirque du Cambodia” film and director Q&A from 6-8 p.m. in Rooms 1406 and 1407 of the Community Commons Building (CCB). Wednesday, April 2 at HCC Main Campus There will be a Muay Thai boxing event from 9:30-10:45 a.m. in the Welcome Room. A presentation titled “Empowering Young Entrepreneurs: The Role of Education and Support Systems in Vietnam” will be given by Mai Nguyen Lisovich from 11 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. in the Leadership Room. Lunch from Dang and Thai House will be served during the Le Hien Minh documentary and nail salon from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in the Multicultural Room. A presentation will be given by Professor Katherine Bruhn titled “Global Art and Visual Culture (Indonesia)” from 12:30-1:45 p.m. in the Welcome Room. Thursday, April 3 at ISU Vrooman Center There will be a yoga and breathwork workshop from 9-10 a.m. in the Marilyn M. Boyd International House. A presentation titled “Batik Art & Indonesian Traditional Games” will be given by Robby Anggriawan from 10-11 a.m. in the Eleanor Kong Room. There will be a lunch reception with a presentation from The Grand Cafe from 11:15 a.m. to noon in The Jaime Escalante Room. RSVP is required. A presentation titled “Empowering Young Entrepreneurs: The Role of Education and Support Systems in Vietnam” will be given by Mai Quynh Nguyen from noon to 1:30 p.m. in the Jaime Escalante Room. There will be a Muay Thai boxing and Burmese Lethwei Martial Arts demonstration with Band of Brothers Martial Arts from 2-3 p.m. in the Eleanor Kong Room. A presentation titled "Balikbayan: A Photographer's Connections to the Philippines" will be given by Jason Reblando from 3-4 p.m. in the Jaime Escalante Room. There will be a Tinikling Dance Performance by the Asian Pacific American Coalition (APAC) Student Organization from 4-5 p.m. in the Marilyn M. Boyd International House. There will be a dinner reception with a presentation from Dang Boba, Poke and Banh Mi from 5-6 p.m. in the Jaime Escalante Room. RSVP is required. There will be a screening of “Cirque du Cambodia” with Director Joel Gershon from 6-8:30 p.m. in the Jaime Escalante Room. Friday, April 4 at ISU Vrooman Center There will be a guided meditation and mindfulness workshop with Jim Almeda from 9-10 a.m. in the Marilyn M. Boyd International House. A presentation titled “Global Art and Visual Culture [Indonesia]” will be given by Katherine Bruhn from 10-11 a.m. in the Eleanor Kong Room. There will be a lunch reception with a presentation from Thai House of Bloomington from 11:15 a.m. to noon in the Eleanor Kong Room. RSVP is required. There will be a violin performance by Chona Noble from noon to 1 p.m. in the Eleanor Kong Room. There will be a Muay Thai boxing and Burmese Lethwei Martial Arts demonstration with Band of Brothers Martial Arts from 2-3 p.m. in the Eleanor Kong Room. More information can be found here.
- Additional negotiation sessions between UFISU and ISU will lead into April ahead of possible strikeThe United Faculty of Illinois State University (UFISU) and Illinois State University reached three tentative agreements on Workload, Assignment of Duties and Identification of Union Representatives during a negotiation session on Friday. During this session, two additional sessions were added alongside the previously scheduled Wednesday, April 2, and Friday, April 4, sessions. The new sessions will be held on Tuesday, April 1, and Thursday, April 3. The negotiation session lasted around 13 hours from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. UFISU described the three tentative agreements as a “huge win” on its website. “We have been in discussion about paths to agreement on these topics for weeks (or, over a year if you count that we submitted the original proposal in our first bargaining session on February 28, 2024,” the UFISU website said in its bargaining update post. In an email sent to students, faculty and staff, ISU Media Relations said almost all non-economic issues have been resolved with these three tentative agreements, with focus shifting to economic issues like compensation and parental leave. Friday’s negotiation session had no involvement with a federal mediator. The choice not to involve a federal mediator follows the implementation of a March 14 Executive Order that decreased the size of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service and “ended support to public-sector negotiations.” “While good progress was made with the mediator’s support, the University believes the parties have developed a productive working relationship that will allow negotiations to continue without the involvement of a mediator as Illinois State and the Union move toward contract resolution,” ISU said in its email. In the tentative agreement for Assignment of Duties, employees will receive more support from ISU in considering their course teaching preferences and earlier notification of what courses they teach in upcoming semesters. Department teaching loads were also discussed with Workload. Departments will develop workload policies according to their standards and service requirements. Employees with “sufficient scholarly and creative productivity, and assigned institutional and departmental service responsibilities,” will not be assigned over 18 teaching credit hours. UFISU and ISU continue to have economic discussions. ISU proposed an updated economic offer, involving base and promotional salaries. UFISU has described these “off-the-record” economic discussions as “intense.” On Monday, UFISU filed a Notice of Intent to Strike. If an agreement is not met between UFISU and ISU for a fair contract in the next negotiation sessions moving into April, the faculty union may strike as early as Friday, April 4.
- A complete timeline on negotiations between UFISU and University administrationThe United Faculty of Illinois State University (UFISU) filed its Intent to Strike notice earlier this week. Over the past year, University administration and UFISU have bargained back and forth, seeking fair wages for all faculty. Here is a definitive timeline on the negotiations dating back to February 2024: Spring 2024 The first bargaining session took place on Feb. 28, 2024. ISU faculty expressed feelings of isolation within their schools and departments through spokesperson and associate professor Ashley Farmer. UFISU presented University administration with copies of a proposal based on the Bargaining Pillars of the union. University administration has been led by Mark Bennett of Laner Muchin Ltd. After questioning different aspects of the proposal, Bennett assured that the University would have counterproposals by the next meeting. During a four-hour session in March, the ISU administration did not have counterproposals or sign any tentative agreement. Testimonials from staff were a focal point during the spring sessions. Xiaoying Zhao, an international faculty member, shared that ISU’s management of the immigration process was slow and complex, with a lack of on-campus help. Zhao also revealed that several of the fees included were paid out of pocket, a surprising detail for some administrators. UFISU revealed that ISU had the lowest salary for its professors in the state of Illinois. Bennett presented a short proposal during the final session in March. The proposal said that the University believed that no fundamental change was needed at that time. In April, UFISU rejected several proposals from ISU administration and submitted counterproposals, highlighting the need for change and fair compensation. Union faculty and ISU administration signed their first tentative agreement on April 29, 2024, regarding the economic availability of the final agreement. Summer 2024 A movement in tentative agreements was seen over the summer during the first session on May 16, 2024. UFISU and University administration signed three proposals, among them being No Strike No Lockout, stating that union members are not authorized to strike after signing the contract. Proposals for non-discrimination and workplace bullying were two key topics discussed in May. On June 5, 2024, both parties signed their sixth tentative agreement on union dues. During the June session, University administration heard presentations from Director of Environmental Health and Safety Adam McCrary and Executive Director of Facilities Services Kristie Toohill. Both discussed their areas and responsibilities in terms of their current projects on campus. This led to the conversation on health, safety and facilities, where the UFISU expressed concern over the lack of locks on doors across campus in the event of an active shooter. Administration said the concern was unnecessary to bring into the bargaining agreement. UFISU and ISU administration signed a tentative agreement on July 31, 2024, which focused on academic freedom. The proposal enabled faculty to select materials and develop assignments within their individual courses and assign additional materials if needed in their courses. In August, union faculty revisited the need for door locks in buildings across campus. Administration also made progress on all-gender restrooms on campus. Fall 2024 Both parties had their first session of the fall semester on Aug. 23, 2024, where a Memorandum of Understanding on Facilities Improvements was agreed upon. This included a commitment from ISU administration to install locks on all classroom doors within five years and solidified progress on all-gender restrooms. On Aug. 28, 2024, two additional agreements were signed, relating to health and safety and facilities. Until this point, no economic proposals were made by the administration. UFISU members had waited seven months because the proposals were related to staff workload and pay. An agreement on limitations and savings was signed on Sept. 16, 2024. In November 2024, grievance, non-discrimination and disability were the main points of bargaining. On Nov. 19, UFISU requested mediation due to its frustration with the administration’s response to the proposals. Mediation was also requested due to the lack of economic proposals. ISU administration denied the request for joint mediation since the union faculty had to make a request to the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board first. Salary was the main focus of December’s mediation session. UFISU and ISU administration presented different numbers, which further deepened the disconnect between them. Spring 2025 UFISU spoke during the public comment portion of the Board of Trustees meeting on Feb. 21, 2025. Jessica Rick, an assistant professor in the School of Communication, shared her personal experiences as a parent and advocated for a new child leave policy. School of Communication professor Joseph Zompetti discussed the financial stresses ISU faculty face. Ashley Farmer, an associate professor of criminal justice sciences and lead UFISU negotiator, voiced concerns about the uncertainty of a fair contract. UFISU’s current demands ask for an average salary increase of over 28% over the next 33 months. The approximate salary at ISU is $88,089, which is 12% below the national average. During the mediation session on March 24, 2025, UFISU informed University administration that it filed an Intent to Strike notice with the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board. Faculty members can go on strike as early as April 4. The filing does not mean that all union faculty members will go on strike, but it allows them to do so, if necessary. Future mediation sessions will take place April 2 and April 4.
- UFISU rally on the quad for fair wagesThe United Faculty of Illinois State University (UFISU) held a rally on Thursday on the Quad, demanding that the University provide fair wages for all faculty members. The rally began at the Old Main Bell before participants marched to Hovey Hall, where faculty and supporters chanted phrases such as, “Get up, get down. Normal is a union town,” and “What do we want? A fair contract. And if we do not get it? Shut it down.” State Rep. Sharon Chung of Bloomington attended the rally to support UFISU, asserting that the rally made a “powerful message.” "It makes the most impact to show how important a fair contract is to them and that they have demands and needs they hope [the University] can come to some sort of agreement on,” Chung said. Special Education Associate Professor Mark Zablocki believes a united front will help the union’s voices make an impact. “I think that it shows our collective power. It helps us in negotiations with administration and things like academic freedom,” Zablocki said. Mathematics Assistant Professor Julien Corven expressed dissatisfaction with the University’s administration, claiming that faculty have suffered enough. “I think that the communication from the administration has been very misleading,” Corven said. “I think that they are failing to recognize the real harm that faculty members in this institution have suffered through with years of wage erosion, sub-inflationary raises and years of no raises.” “I really need them to understand that this affects faculty members. It affects ISU's reputation as an institution,” Corven continued. Jolyne Custer, a freshman English education major, cares about the union’s needs. “I have always been passionate about education. I have always been passionate about being for the people. And when my professors are not having their needs met in order to operate at full function, it jeopardizes everybody's education,” Custer said. “It jeopardizes the health of my professors, [who] I care about outside of an educational setting. I care because they are people,” Custer continued. Zablocki highlighted how their current efforts to reach a fair contract can not only impact the union but also students. “We are also not just fighting for us. We are fighting for better learning conditions, resources in the classroom and mental health services for our students,” Zablocki said. “It is not just about us. It is also for the students.” UFISU is scheduled to have more mediation sessions with a federal mediator on Friday, March 28, Wednesday, April 2 and Friday, April 4. UFISU filed a Notice of Intent to Strike on Monday, meaning that if the union and the University cannot reach an agreement in the upcoming mediation sessions, the union could strike as early as April 4.
