Dear Friends, Today I am writing to update you on the dissent taking place locally in Champaign-Urbana against Chancellor Wise's handling of Professor Steven Salaita's contract. A lot is happening, as you can see below: Student Op-Ed http://www.dailyillini.com/opinion/columns/article_e5374ff0-2c9f-11e4-b900-001a4bcf6878.html Op-Ed by 60+ Tenured Faculty http://www.news-gazette.com/opinion/guest-commentary/2014-08-26/ui-precluded-any-honest-debate.html AIS Faculty Vote of No Confidence http://www.ais.illinois.edu/news/current/noconfidence_wise_8.22.14.aspx Salaita Fact Sheet for Faculty and Students http://uiucfaculty.blogspot.com/ A good source of links to local happenings https://www.facebook.com/supportsalaita Since the letter by the UI Board of Trustees supporting the chancellor's decision was sent to faculty and staff, the groundswell of support for Professor Salaita has been on the increase despite the bad timing (the beginning of the semester when students are just returning to campus and faculty are busy with their duties). Both students and faculty are organizing and faculty in the social sciences and humanities are educating their colleagues in the sciences on the issues involved regarding academic freedom and faculty governance. We have not heard the end of this matter by a long shot.