Dear Students:

The Graduate Employees Organization (GEO) has communicated it intends to strike beginning the morning of Monday (Feb. 26). But your classes should continue to meet for the duration of the strike and you should plan to attend as usual.

We will continue the bargaining process, and we hope we will reach an agreement that ends the strike as quickly as possible. Until that happens, our top priority will be to offer the best protection for your academic experience that we can. We are taking the necessary steps to minimize the disruption of instruction, to ensure your course objectives are met and to ensure timely grading. If there are interruptions, the department offering the affected course must implement make-up arrangements to ensure that the instructional objectives of your classes are delivered and that you are kept informed.

It is possible that your instructor may choose to relocate the class meeting location to minimize any interruption. If that happens, your instructor is responsible for notifying you of the change in a timely manner.

Depending on where your classes meet, there may be GEO members or supporters protesting or picketing outside the building. This is legal as long as it is peaceful and does not create a disturbance or block entrances or exits. As a student, you have a right to attend the classes for which you pay tuition. Picketers have the right to talk to you as you enter or leave, but they cannot interfere with your passage. If you have any concerns or experience any difficulties attending any class please contact the department that offers the affected class.

Full updates on the status of these negotiations as well as a list of frequently asked questions about the impact of the strike on your experience is on the web at go.illinois.edu/geonegotiations.

We know that you chose the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign for the world-class education we promise. We will continue to deliver on that promise as we work with the union representatives to conclude the strike.

Best regards,

Andreas C. Cangellaris
Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Provost