United Faculty ISU

10/09/2026

🧭 Who are ISU Student Support Professionals (SSPs)?

SSPs are ISU's WAYFINDERS: Administrative Professionals and Civil Servants supporting students navigating their ISU journey.

We are academic professionals who serve and support students throughout their university experience, and our labor is essential to the mission of Illinois State University. We represent a vital through-line for student success, providing information, support, and an environment that fosters student growth and retention from before admission to after graduation.

While this list is not comprehensive, our unit includes staff who provide academic, financial, and career related support services. These positions entail:

Academic Advisors
Admissions Counselors
Career Advisors
Financial Aid Advisors
Program Coordinator/Advisors

We remain eager to support students in finding their ways through their college experiences. At the same time, we are excited to advocate for better working conditions that make our important work for and with students possible.

10/01/2026

Don't forget to RSVP for our General Membership Meeting on Monday, October 5 at 5:15pm. If you would like the link for the Zoom option, be sure to fill out the link in the email you received on Monday, 9/28 at your non-ISU email.

09/27/2026

🚨🚨 Solidarity alert! 🚨🚨

We're switching it up for !

Thursdays have been our days, but we want to make it clear we stand with our ISU Student Support Professionals as they negotiate their first contract. So spread the word: on TUESDAYS we wear green!

09/23/2026

UFISU and AFSCME Council 31 members showed up this evening to support the ISU Student Support Professionals (SSPs) as they again tried to make progress in the negotiations despite the university continuing their usual tricks. The campus unions are united as one in fighting for fair contracts, safe working conditions, and the respect we deserve. Turner Hall was alive with the sound of solidarity to the admin’s clear dismay with Mike Kruger scolding the team about our presence. It sounds like they really aren’t behind their vision of us as one university working together.

Please give the SSP account a follow and show them some love. We ❤️ our SSP colleagues and the work they do guiding our students to success.

09/22/2026

Our campus UPI siblings, ISU Student Support Professionals , are on Facebook! Follow them to keep up to date with their bargaining progress.

📗🔉SSP Union Bargaining Update 🔉📗

Last Thursday, our bargaining team went to the table with ISU Admin wearing all pink. While we use green to represent solidarity with our cause, it was significant for our all women bargaining team to represent our majority women unit and their stories of feeling unsafe in the workplace. The lead on ISU’s team said, “Don’t make it about gender,” but we think it’s time to call out the nuances of the systemic issues happening at ISU that are consistently making Student Support Professionals (SSPs) feel unsafe in the workplace.

We need to GET SAFE FIRST.

Members: Check your email for more details, and join us for our next GMM on October 6 from 12-1 PM. Location TBD. Food will be provided.

09/07/2026

Thanks to all the members and their families that came out to walk in this year’s Lane Day Parade and for the after party generously hosted by UFISU member Mark Zablocki and his partner, Meg Backas. UFISU members were joined on the parade route by our fellow UPI 4100 colleagues from the ISU Student Support Professionals and the Heartland Faculty and Adjunct Faculty Associations because we are all stronger together.

Labor Day was started to honor the labor of hardworking people across this country. On this day, it’s important to remember that we all deserve to be fairly compensated for the labor we do for ISU even though the administration has been actively devaluing the important work done by our members. As the parade shows, we are stronger together and UFISU will keep fighting for you.

09/06/2026

Yesterday several UFISU members played in the Bloomington Normal Trades Labor Softball Tourney! The members had a blast and placed third in this first competition. The tournament was a chance for members across campus to meet and build camaraderie even with the heat. Hopefully this is the first of many opportunities for UFISU members to come together in extracurricular activities to continue to build solidarity across campus. Go UFISU Storm Cats!

Don’t forget to join us tomorrow at the Labor Day parade and/or the after party for another opportunity to mingle with your fellow UFISU members from across campus. Let’s continue celebrating how we are stronger together and that our labor matters this Labor Day!

09/04/2026

So well deserved after the fight he lead at ISU this year.

AFSCME Local 1110 President Chuck Carver has been named WJBC's 2026 Laborer of the Year!

Chuck led Local 1110 through a historic 28-day strike against Illinois State University—and they came out of the strike stronger than ever. Chuck worked to build solidarity among Local 1110’s members. He helped rally the student body and Bloomington community. Above all, he and Local 1110 proved what working people can accomplish when we stand together.

This Monday, Chuck will have a much-deserved spot at the head of the Bloomington Labor Day parade. Congratulations Chuck!

08/26/2026

Let’s celebrate our union, our many Bloomington-Normal union siblings, and the working people who make them all great! Join us for the Labor Day Parade on Monday, September 7! Meet up in downtown Bloomington on Main Street, north of Front on the east side of the street (by Rosie’s) around 9:15am. Look for the green UPI shirts.

This is always a fun activity for all–even partners, children, and pets–to participate in! The parade runs about 1 mile from downtown Bloomington to Miller Park and should wrap up by around 11:00am. Not up for walking? We’ll have a truck and a 12-foot trailer, so bring a chair and ride along. Wear your green UPI shirt and bring water, sun protection, and good walking shoes. We have plenty of candy to pass out to the crowd, so no need to bring any. For parking, we recommend the garage near the start of the route or Miller Park at the end of the route. Let us know if you need a ride between the two.

Immediately following the parade, UFISU is hosting an after party. Many thanks to Mark Zablocki and Meg Backus for graciously opening their home to us! All are welcome to this family-friendly event!

Link in bio to RSVP.

06/02/2026

🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈 Happy Pride Month from your UFISU fam 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈