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SBC awards nearly $136,000 in technology-related grants to UIS

By Tom Cronin- Public Affairs Reporter

      The SBC Foundation has awarded UIS almost $136,000 in grants to fund the university’s online math teacher certification program and two technology-related GEAR UP programs at Springfield’s Lanphier High School, university officials announced last week.
      At a Feb. 1 press conference attended by UIS Chancellor Richard Ringeisen, UI President Joseph White, Republican State Rep. Rich Brauer of Petersburg, faculty and students from Lanphier High School, and members of the local media, SBC Illinois President Carrie Hightman offered the grants to the university in the form of a large check.

Republican State Rep. Rich Brauer, Chancellor Richard Ringeise and UI President Joseph White accpet a check for $136,000 drom SBC Illinois President Carrie Hightman. The grants will fund the university's online math teacher certification program

“We view education as critical to the well-being and prosperity of the communities in which we serve,” Hightman said. “And so, this is a great program to help move students forward, to increase success rates, to get more students performing well and to give them a better chance for success in the real world after they’re done with school.”
      Included in the grant package are two GEAR UP grants totaling $100,000 and almost $36,000 for the online program in secondary education toward a teaching certification in mathematics.
      UIS established the online math teacher certification program in March 2004 when Republican U.S. Rep. John Shimkus of Illinois’ 19th District provided the university with $250,000 in federal funds. The program was first offered this fall to address a growing shortage of Illinois math teachers. It was projected that the state would need more than 600 new math teachers this year and more than 650 next year.
      According to a university press release dated Feb. 1, the first of the GEAR UP grants is designed to help enhance teaching and learning through instructional technologies at Lanphier High School. The second GEAR UP grant would be used to help fund after-school and summer academic enrichment programs in math, science, reading and technological literacy at the high school, the press release said.
      GEAR UP, or the Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs initiative, is a federal program that employs local partnerships to help prepare an increased number of low-income high school students for college. Involved in the Springfield GEAR UP partnership are UIS, Lincoln Land Community College, Springfield School District 186 and the Springfield Urban League.
      The partnership began in 1999 when GEAR UP programs were made available to seventh graders at Washington Middle School because of the school’s low attendance rates, high percentage of students from low-income families and higher-than-average high school dropout rates among middle school graduates, according to Larry Stonecipher, dean of the college of education and human services. GEAR UP programs were later added at Lanphier High School, which is where most Washington Middle School students advance after graduation.
      Stonecipher, also an associate professor of mathematical sciences and teacher education, said that mathematicians like Ringeisen and himself recognize that teaching math to middle school and high school students is often an enormous challenge.
      “Frankly, we also know that about seventh or eighth grade, it’s not just the female students, but the male students start to lack interest, or lose interest, or find new interests when their hormones start to fly there about eighth grade, and they don’t stick with math,” Stonecipher said.
      As they enter high school, students spend a lot of time participating in extracurricular activities and thinking about their academic and career goals, which often leaves little time for homework, Stonecipher said. Math homework cannot be put off until 10:30 or 11 p.m. because the completion of a math problem involves understanding the problem, putting together a plan to do the work, doing the work, checking the work and reflecting on the problem, he said.
      “With television and the society and culture that we live in, the students’ attention spans are 30 seconds or less … [and] reflection is not part of their thinking,” Stonecipher said. “They don’t stop and think about what they just did. They just want to get their name on their paper, get their assignment done and get ready for the next day.”

UPI, administration reach agreement

By Jason Satek - SGA/General Assignment Reporter

      “We’re barely treading water,” stated Norma Jean Niebur, the president of Local 4100, the University Professionals of Illinois (UPI), in regards to the third one-year contract agreed to with the university negotiators and ratified by a majority of those in attendance on Jan. 12.
      The employee union, whose purview is the building services, clerical and pro-tech (media center, radio & TV and similar technicians and coordinators) workers of the University, has found itself in a difficult situation since the incorporation of Sangamon State into the University of Illinois system.
      They perform the same functions and provide similar services to that of their counterparts in Champaign and Chicago, but are compensated at a lower rate and do not receive the career longevity bonuses found at the other schools.
      The new contract was brought to completion with the involvement of federal mediators, who were requested to assist, as on occasion in the past when the two sides were not able to reach an accord through their own efforts.
      The 150 members of Local 4100 will be under the current contract until August 29 of 2005, when the whole process will begin again. “We focused on money for this contract, figuring it would go faster but it still took time,” said Niebur.
      “The percentage wage increases that we’ve received in the past were swallowed up by the cost increase in health benefits last July. Health benefits will go up again this July. We are not getting cost-of-living. For people living in Section 8 housing, working two and three jobs (the across-the-board percentage raise) is a drop in the bucket.”
      Joining the union is not mandatory, but the positions are considered as union, so fees will be taken out of nonunion members’ checks. Under the “fair share” arrangement, nonunion members will be able to have the union represent them in a grievance, but the nonunion member will not be allowed to vote on contract ratification or other related business.
      The Board of Trustees, who signs off on the final deal, negotiates via representatives with the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) for the contracts relating to clerical, building service and the others at the other system schools. However, AFSCME is a much larger union and has more clout, representing a wide range of constituents like nurses, teachers, lawyers and law enforcement.
      Niebur has been involved with unions on and off for many years, beginning with a protest march at the age of 12, led by labor icon Cesar Chavez, who was seeking to organize California grape pickers. She hopes for a return to longer than one-year contracts at the next opportunity, as “it’s very stressful. We are not really accomplishing much for the union members, as we are spending a lot of time negotiating.”
      The lead negotiator for the university on the latest contract, Human Resources Specialist and Team Coordinator Mark Owens was contacted in regards to this story, but due to a lack of available time on his schedule, could not comment in depth.

SBC awards nearly $136,000 in technology-related grants to UIS

UPI, administration reach agreement