Press Release: February 28, 2002

Provost Approves and Defines Directorship for Asian American Resource & Cultural Center

by Pius Wong; contact: Rena Patel, rpatel45@uic.edu

On Thursday, February 28, during a meeting with the Asian American Coalition Committee (AACC), UIC Provost Charlotte Tate announced a plan to establish an Asian American Resource and Cultural Center (AARCC) on campus by hiring a director without faculty status. As soon as the current hiring freeze is over, a search for the director will commence. Details regarding the Center's support staff and programming budget will be determined as the Offices of the Chancellor and the Provost analyze the 2002-2003 budget during this month.

Also present at the meeting were Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs Barbara Henley, Vice Provost for Academic Administration Richard Lim, and Associate Vice Chancellor Mo-Yin Tam. Members of the student group Diversity on Demand also observed.

The Director of the AARCC will not hold a tenure faculty position in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, as opposed to original discussions earlier this year. Tate does not believe that the head would need to be tenured in order to effectively run the Center. Considering the current budget situation, along with the complications of hiring administration who also require academic department approval, Tate believes hiring a Director without faculty status is the best way to get the Center going as soon as possible. She assured, "I guarantee you this person will be superb."

Currently, the President of the University of Illinois system has placed a hiring freeze on the University, and a search for the AARCC's Director cannot begin immediately. Tate hopes that the freeze will be lifted by the summertime. For now, "We will begin putting together a hiring package," Tate said. "As soon as moratorium is lifted we will start the search process."

"We want this to be a really good search. It's the right thing to do."

Interim Provost Tate will be stepping down on July 1st. However, she reassured that plans for the AARCC will remain strong and defined after future Provost Tanner takes office. "I will still be around -- Rich [Lim] -- Barbara [Henley] -- the Chancellor is behind this." The transition to a new provost "is not a problem at all," Tate said.

Although the AARCC will begin smaller than first proposed, students and staff are still expressing confidence in the AARCC's outlook. "It's clear that as long as a good start is made, even if it's not as big a start as what's absolutely ideal, then creation of the AARCC can start to snowball," AACC treasurer Wen Chen commented. "A cultural center that has the resources to work with community organizations can really attract funds into its own budget and the University."

Reflecting faculty visions for the success of the Center, despite a smaller-than-planned initial budget, Provost Lim stated that "the [Center's] budget will grow as the Center grows."

The last issue raised during the meeting was the allocation of space for the AARCC. The Provost stated that it currently is a bad time to address that topic. She informed those at the meeting that the University has formed a space allocation committee to analyze the campus and consider new ways to maximize space. "We'll get back to you when we can," Tate pledged. "We've made a commitment and we're following through with it."

"The Provost kept her word," Associate Vice Chancellor Tam said.

Vice Provost Lim asserted, "It'll get done."

The earliest that the AARCC can be established is in the spring of 2003.

The Asian American Coalition Committee is an umbrella organization of Asian American student organizations at UIC. It aims to unify Asian American students to strengthen their voice on campus, to educate the entire UIC community about issues concerning Asian Americans, and to empower Asian American students through their gaining visibility and representation.