You are on page 1of 2

IssueStatement:UniversityofIllinoisPrivateEmailAccounts

ISSUE
UniversityofIllinoisChancellorPhyllisWiseresignedafewdayspriortothediscoveryof
emailsdiscussinguniversityagendaonherprivateemailaccount.Administratorsatthe
UniversityofIllinoisarecurrentlyunderinvestigation.ThisisaproblemforUIUCbecausethe
publicuniversitymustfullycomplywithFOIArequestsbydisclosingrequestedcommunication
betweenuniversityemployees,whichWisedidnotdo.Theemailssentontheadministrators
privateemailaccountswerefoundtocontainmessagesregardingplanstoopenanewmedical
school,thedecisiontoterminateajoboffertoprofessorStevenSalaitaandtheemploymentofa
felon,JamesKilgore.

PUBLICS

Administrators:Administratorsareawareoftheissueandwillbeheldtouniversity
policyregardingtheuseofprivateemailservers.
Alumni:Alumniareinvestedinthereputationoftheuniversity.Theyarepotential
donorsandsupportersoftheuniversitysfuture.
Donors:Donorsmightstopdonatingiftheydonottrustuniversityleaders.
TheBoardofTrustees:Theyhavefinalauthorityovertheuniversity.

TIMING
Theuniversityneedstokeepthepublicinformedofanydevelopmentsintheissueandrelease
anyfurtherinformationthatisfound.
STRENGTHS

Theuniversityhasearnedareputationasaworldclassleaderinresearch,teachingandpublic
engagement.Wiseisnolongerworkingattheuniversity.
WEAKNESSES
Theuniversityisalreadyreceivingattentionforafewcontroversies,suchasallegationsof
mistreatmentbyathletes.Largenewsoutletshavecoveredtheseissues.Inaddition,the
regulationoftheemailcommunicationbytheuniversitywillremainhardtoenforce.
KEYMESSAGES
TheUniversityofIllinoisiscommittedtoinvestigatingtheissuetothefullestextent.
TheUniversityofIllinoishasrecoveredemailrecordsfromtheprivateemailaccounts.

TheUniversityofIllinoiswilldiscloseanyprivateinformationwithheldfromthepublic.
TheUniversityofIllinoiswillstressitspolicyonthestrictuseofpublicemailaccounts
andwillnottoleratetheuseofemailssentonprivateaccounts.

You might also like