URBANA — Gabriel Solis is in a bit of a bind.

Like other University of Illinois professors, Solis is trying to schedule four unpaid days off between now and the end of the spring semester to help the UI fill a budget gap.

The music professor wants to avoid canceling class, but he teaches five days a week.

As the semester begins, faculty are struggling with how to take furlough days without affecting their students — or, for younger faculty, jeopardizing their chances for tenure.

Teaching isn’t limited to the classroom, and it’s intertwined with research and service, Solis and other faculty say.

“Furloughs of any kind, whether taken on classroom instruction days or other days, will inevitably impact students in some way. We teach all the time,” Solis said.

UI administrators clarified the furlough policy this morning through a communication to employees, offering the option of simply taking a temporary 2 percent pay cut instead of four mandatory unpaid days off.

Mrinalini Rao, vice president for academic affairs, and other administrators would not confirm details Tuesday. UI spokesman Thomas Hardy said only that the communique will “reflect some adjustments and some flexibility in the mandatory furlough program.”

Officially, administrators put few constraints on faculty in choosing furlough days when they announced the plan Jan. 5. In practice, things haven’t been so clear, faculty said.

The UI’s Office of Human Resources’ Web site said faculty and academic professional employees had to take one furlough day a month between Jan. 15 and May 15, or a total of four days.

The furlough announcement said “faculty and academic professional staff, to a degree, will be able to select furlough days that are most appropriate to their schedules so that university business can continue every business day.”

Interim President Stanley Ikenberry said Jan. 5 that he wanted to provide “as much flexibility as we can provide to the faculty so they can decide the precise day and the way they can take their furlough day.”

Still, he said he didn’t expect furloughs to affect classes, and that faculty were “dedicated to making sure that does not happen.”

Solis said the statements were “ambiguous. We need something without hedges.”

A resolution still being drafted for next Monday’s faculty-student senate meeting says deans and department heads should honor the official policy: that furlough days are to be taken at faculty discretion, with no permission required and no retribution.

“We think you can trust us to do that in a responsible way consistent with our conscience and our work,” said Kathryn Oberdeck, associate professor of history and one of the resolution’s co-authors.

The draft resolution also urges more faculty participation in budget decisions, a streamlining of administrative costs and relief for lower-paid employees affected by furloughs.

Oberdeck said she’s already heard of problems from colleagues trying to arrange furlough days, such as department heads suggesting which days they take off.

“For some faculty, the waters can be a little murky,” added Clarence Lang, associate professor of history and African-American studies.

Solis and Lang, who both helped draft the resolution, said subtle pressure could be placed on younger professors whose department heads will be reviewing them for tenure.

“People feel very anxious and frankly very discouraged,” Lang said.
Nicholas Burbules, professor of educational policy studies, said the problem goes back to the “fluid” nature of a faculty job.

Teaching isn’t limited to the hours spent in the classroom with students, Lang said. As in other professions, “you’re never really off the clock.”

Faculty prepare and update class materials, answer e-mails from students, hold office hours and mentor students, said Abbas Aminmansour, associate professor of architecture.

Faculty also use their research and public service work to update the content of their classes.

“I routinely derive research topics from teaching, and use research in teaching,” agreed Solis, who studies jazz, popular music and Australian aboriginal dance and song.

Solis became interested in traditional Aboriginal dance after teaching a world music course. He went on to write a grant, did field work and now teaches a course on Australian aboriginal music.

The UI is one of the few places in the country where students can take that course, and feedback has been positive, he said.

“There is a perception that in particular our research is frivolous, and we do it for ourselves. The research mission of a research university benefits the state, and benefits our constituents,” Solis said.

Professors also say there’s confusion about whether they can take a half-day off at a time, to avoid canceling class. Other options would be to ask a graduate teaching assistant or faculty colleague to fill in.

Solis said Monday he wasn’t sure what he will do.

“I hope to spend at least one (furlough) day doing something visible that is not work, service to my community.”