"STRONGER WHEN UNITED."
from Michael Pinsoff
That theme was the underlying rallying cry throughout the 2 1/2 day IEA Representative Assembly in Rosemont, that my RAFO colleague Dr. Elizabeth Boone and I recently attended as your RAFO delegates.
Dr. Boone and I experienced the unique opportunity to meet and bond with Higher Education faculty statewide. We listened to prominent speakers like Dr. Jill Biden (who made a personal appearance at our Higher Ed luncheon and fielded an audience question from a member of our Region 67 delegation), and Governor Pritzker. We received briefings on recent legislative developments affecting Higher Ed at both the state and national level; learned about IEA's campaign in staunch support of the "Fair Tax Amendment" that will appear
on the November ballot; discussed IEA's budget and dues structure; and became educated on the importance for Higher Education of this year's U.S. Census, learningstrategies for increasing participation. We also voted on IEA's legislative platform, amendments to IEA by-laws, and for IEA directors.
Dr. Boone and I thank you for electing us as RAFO delegates, and we can assure you that the IEA totally "has our back" when it comes to recognizing and wholeheartedly supporting the unique needs of and demands placed upon Higher Ed adjuncts.
Dear Roosevelt Community,
While there are no confirmed cases of Coronavirus at Roosevelt, the safety and wellbeing of our community is our highest priority. We are taking the following steps to give every member of our community the support and resources to continue uninterrupted access to their academic program in whatever manner is necessary.
Steps that we are taking to achieve these objectives are as follows:
Classes
- Roosevelt University classes are postponed until Monday, March 23. At that time and until further notice, most classes will be offered online.
- Accommodations will be made for courses/programs that require in-person course work, as those courses/programs are identified.
- A student who reports that they need to miss classes for reasons related to COVID-19 must be excused and the absence reported to the Vice President for Student Affairs at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. No medical or other documentation regarding the absence is required.
Residence & Dining Halls
- The University’s residence halls and dining hall will remain accessible at this time, but with restrictions. For your safety and for the safety of the campus community, we are strongly encouraging students who are able to remain home to do that. For students who return or remain in the residence halls, you must notify the Dean of Students Office at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Student & Employee Travel
- No University-sponsored travel by air is permitted. You are responsible for canceling currently scheduled travel and making arrangements for refunds.
- Students and employees currently in and returning from countries with a Level 3 Health Notice must complete 14 days of self-quarantine before returning to campus.
Athletics
- Roosevelt University is immediately suspending all athletic activities indefinitely. This suspension also pertains to all programs, including spirit squads, eSports and Performing Arts, that were previously offered at Robert Morris University Illinois.
- This suspension covers all intercollegiate athletics programs and related athletics activities, including all competitions, all practices, and all team meetings.
- Teams currently on spring break travel and competing in tournament competitions will return from their trips as scheduled and immediately adhere to the suspension of athletics activities. The Robert Morris men’s volleyball team competing at Trinity Christian College tonight (Thursday, March 12, 2020) will compete in the match and adhere to the suspension of athletics activities following the conclusion of the match.
- Athletics facilities owned, leased or rented by Roosevelt will be closed to students until further notice.
University Operations
- Effective immediately, any employee who is in a high risk category is strongly encouraged to work from home or adjust their work schedule to reduce contact with others.
- Key offices (campus safety, residence life, physical resources, payroll, information technology, and human resources) will remain fully open.
- Student Offices (all student-facing offices) remain open for visitors with reduced staffing. Each Division head will outline a plan for this with their respective teams.
- All other offices are highly encouraged to work from home.
- An employee who reports that they need to miss work for reasons related to COVID-19 must be excused and the absence reported to Human Resources. No medical or other documentation regarding the absence is required.
Roosevelt’s top priority is the health and safety of our community. We remain committed to communicating the most up to date information as frequently as possible. Please continue to regularly check the COVID-19 response website.
Sincerely,
Ali R. Malekzadeh, Ph.D.
President, Roosevelt University
Lois Becker,
Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs
To all adjunct faculty members:
Please do not leave personal items unattended in the adjunct faculty office (AUD 244)! Thefts at the university are occurring more frequently, and there have been thefts from our office. Please do not leave anything valuable in the office, including coats, computers, or textbooks for your current classes. Locker rentals are available from the university.
The union has requested a locked door for the adjunct faculty office from HR and Physical Resources, and we will keep you updated on the status of this request.
Thank you,
RAFO Executive Committee
It's that time again! We are offering Spring Mini-Grants for Professional Development!
If you are attending a workshop, a conference, a seminar to learn new skills, or are presenting at a conference, RAFO has a Professional Development Mini-Grant available to help with expenses.
The application form is available here (click the download button in the upper right hand corner to download and edit the form), and the application deadline is March 16.
Review the application form and fill out the information requested. All proposals will be reviewed by the professional development committee, and you will be notified if it is approved and the amount that will be provided.
If you have any questions about the form or the grant itself, please do not hesitate to Ami Hicks at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
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