Great food and pragmatic presentations were on the menu for the 2016 Spring Chapter Meeting on March 23, in the Explorer Rooms of the University Center. The meeting offered a chance to look back on the work of the union for the academic year and the calendar year as well.
One year ago, the NMU AAUP was engaged in stalled contract negotiations with little sign of a compromise. However, the NMU AAUP stepped up its efforts with a public rally in April, a media campaign and tireless work by the negotiating team. As the semester ended, so did the stalemate, and a five-year contract was ratified. Since that time, we have endured a series of budget cuts that have affected contingent, adjunct and some term faculty with more cuts likely on the horizon.
In her address, NMU AAUP President Becky Mead reviewed the chapter’s efforts to maintain internal stability during the transition to Right to Work. As of March 15, 2016, nearly all tenure track-faculty have joined the union, and according to Treasurer Carol Johnson, the chapter’s financial health is also good at this time. Mead also emphasized the need for greater transparency with regard to the process of decision making at NMU. For more details on Mead’s address, click here.
Grievance Officer Brent Graves recapped his recent efforts to amend contract language regarding seniority for contingent faculty. The MOU will allow contingent faculty to retain their seniority in a department even if there are employment gaps in their service to that department. The MOU also would allow contingent faculty to retain seniority in multiple departments. Graves also reminded the membership to engage in activities that will improve enrollment.
Information Officer Dwight Brady invited more story ideas for the “Faculty Focus” segment of the NMU AAUP website. He also called upon members of the union to emphasize the heroic efforts of the faculty when speaking to media and students rather than adding more negativity to already bad news about budget cuts and declining enrollment.
George Wilson presented key elements of his report on student to faculty ratios at NMU. This data was the centerpiece of a recent two-part series in the Marquette Mining Journal and on nmuaaup.org. Using NMU’s internal data and a commonly used methodology for reporting such ratios, Wilson’s report showed far higher student to faculty ratios at NMU compared to competing universities. For more details on this data, click here.
Executive Committee member and our health insurance guru Brandon Canfield highlighted news relating to our health insurance. According to Canfield, our new health insurance plan is not costing as much as anticipated. This has resulted in a cost savings for union members and the university as a whole. For more details on this, click here.
The most discussed item of the meeting pertained to a new early retirement buyout program that appears to target lower enrollment departments. Initially, all faculty members with ten or more years of service received the offer in the mail with little explanation. Now, it appears all faculty members will have the opportunity to apply if they would like. The union has not taken an official position on this plan because we have not reached an agreement with the administration. It was pitched directly to our membership. For more information on the buyout, click here.
Despite the seemingly incessant budget cuts, there are some positives to take away as we close out this academic year. Faculty are working with Admissions and Communications and Marketing to reverse enrollment trends. These efforts could result in a positive financial outcome due to the enrollment incentive in our current contract. A reversal in these trends could also mean rehiring some of the adjunct and contingent faculty who lost their positions this past year.
The Executive Committee of the NMU AAUP will continue to work hard on your behalf, and we wish you all the best as you conclude this semester and launch into your summer activities.
Ballots for the NMU AAUP elections will soon be arriving in your mailbox. This year’s election features two candidates vying for the top leadership position in our chapter. Our current president Becky Mead (Professor of History) is running for reelection and Brent Graves (Professor of Biology) is challenging Mead for the presidency.