To: All Faculty & All Academic Professionals & All Civil Service Staff &
           All Undergrad Students & All Grad Students <everybody@illinois.edu> 
    From: "President B. Joseph White" <presidentwhite@uillinois.edu>

Reply-To: presidentwhite@uillinois.edu
 Subject: MASSMAIL - University Employees and the IL State Ethics Law

To:	Members of the University Community
From:	B. Joseph White
Re: 	A Message Concerning University Employees and the 
        Illinois State Ethics Act 

I write to you today with a simple message:

We, the leadership of the University of Illinois, will preserve, protect 
and defend the constitutionally guaranteed rights of every member of our 
University community, including, of course, freedom of speech and 
assembly. We will also preserve, protect and defend academic freedom, 
which is a core value of every great academic institution.  

Why am I communicating this assurance?  

Because the University Ethics Office, which reports to me, recently 
disseminated through its newsletter a briefing on the State Officials and 
Employees Ethics Act that was enacted in 2003.  

The newsletter is not a University policy statement. The purpose of the 
briefing was to familiarize us as state employees with the prohibited 
political activities section of the Ethics Act.    

Much of the briefing is simply informative about the state law. For 
example, it is not proper to use University resources to conduct political 
activity, nor is it proper to conduct certain political activities, such 
as soliciting contributions for a party or candidate, while on University 
time.

However, some of the newsletter's content raised concerns among members of 
our community. The briefing cited certain political activities as 
prohibited that conflict, or appear to conflict, with fundamental 
freedoms.  One involves wearing a pin or T-shirt in support of a political 
party or candidate.  Another involves attending a rally on University 
property.  

Are such practices really prohibited by the Ethics Act? To date, the 
courts have given little if any guidance on the proper interpretation of 
the Ethics Act.  

I have heard from many people about this matter.  One of the most 
thoughtful suggested, and I agree, that University employees should be 
advised that they may engage in the following kinds of activities while on 
University property:
 
-- Attend partisan political rallies, provided that the employees 
   are not on duty
-- Wear partisan political buttons, provided that employees at 
   that time are neither on duty nor in the workplace of the 
   University (many parts of campus are not workplaces) 
-- Display partisan bumper stickers on their vehicles

Going forward, I remain concerned about possible conflicts between the 
Ethics Act and interpretations of its meaning and constitutionally 
protected freedoms and academic freedom.  

Accordingly, the Ethics Office, other members of my staff and I will work 
with state officials to ensure that interpretations of the Ethics Act do 
not restrict constitutionally guaranteed rights of state employees and, in 
the case of higher education and this University, academic freedom.
This mailing approved by:
The Office of the President

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