In support of UIC

This past Tuesday the University of Illinois Chicago United Faculty (UICUF) made a brave choice by going on a two day work-stoppage strike. The main reasons for the strike include the right to collective bargaining and a reasonable salary for faculty (especially adjunct faculty).

My fiance, Scott, is currently in his first year of a PhD program at UIC and is incredibly happy with his choice in school and program. Beyond my happiness with the experiences he is having, I also care a lot about UIC. I care about UIC because, as Scott says, it's just a good place to be. I hold the professors in high regard and I also recognize that if UIC loses credibility, the degree Scott and many others receive will carry less merit.

This strike also means a great deal to me because I care about the future of higher education, about the importance of valuing professors who have spent years researching important topics to improve our country and world. I believe that faculty deserve fair pay and collective bargaining rights, and I know that if universities cannot pay at least competitive salaries, they will not attract top notch faculty.

As I'm sure is true for many teachers in the Chicago Public Schools, even the mention of the word strike brings back a million memories and feelings for me. To be honest, the word sends a chill down my spine because the week and a half the Chicago Public Schools went on strike was one of the most emotional weeks of my career. I am proud that I was a part of it, but I would never wish it upon anyone.

Strikes are messy. Strikes are personal and emotional. As my insightful mother says, nobody wins in a strike. I believe strongly in what UIC faculty are standing up for and I hope that in the coming months a fair contract can be agreed upon. For now, I will tell anyone who will listen the importance of valuing faculty at UIC and elsewhere.

And to the UIC faculty, I want to say that the work you do is invaluable and you deserve the utmost respect. I hope that a fair contract is agreed upon, I hope that change happens not only at UIC but in universities everywhere, and I hope that this is a reminder to all of us that education is a gift that we should never take for granted.