Headlines

Faculty Concerns Over Climate Survey Phase 2

Dear Interim President Moffitt and Interim Provost Woodruff-Borden, We, the United Academics Faculty of Color, Working Families, and Pride Caucuses, are writing to address the IDEAL climate survey and the steps taken in response to it. We are concerned with the approach taken to date, particularly with the messaging that the bulk of the work will fall to the faculty themselves, who, as noted in the survey, already feel overburdened. We believe some issues are crucial enough that they can’t wait. As you know, on June 4, 2022, faculty received our first communication addressing the results of the survey, which…

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United Academics Celebrates 10 Years of Salary Increases

This month, United Academics kicks off its celebration of ten years of being union strong! While we’re excited to celebrate the tenth anniversary of our first Collective Bargaining Agreement’s ratification in October 2023, we know there is still work to be done. In the last Collective Bargaining Agreement, we secured 10% raises over the three years of the contract. This included the first year’s across-the-board raise of 5%, a 2% across-the-board raise the following year, and a 3% merit pool to be distributed in January 2024. The ratification vote on our salary package passed with 95% of the vote in…

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UA Award Nominations Now Open!

United Academics Outstanding Contributions Awards Information United Academics has established awards for outstanding contributions to the university community. Please consider nominating a worthy colleague for one or more of these awards: Administration-Faculty Partnership Award – for UO administrators or department heads who demonstrate courage to stand for academic freedom and embrace the role of faculty in university governance. Outstanding Service and Contribution to United Academics – for United Academics members who have offered service to our union in multiple roles over many years. Strong Voice Award – for active United Academics members who have demonstrated sustained and committed activism on…

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Merit Policy Reminder

The current collective bargaining agreement (CBA) states that units are to revise and submit their merit policies for approval by the end of the Spring 2023 term. Deans of colleges and schools may prepare and issue templates for merit policies to assist units during this process. Following that step,  “the faculty will first consider any input provided by the appropriate governance committee, department or unit head, dean, vice president, Provost, or designee” and faculty may amend policy suggestions from a dean and submit an amended policy for approval. The opportunity to devise policy that recognizes merit provides a vital touchpoint…

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Career Continuous Employment Reviews

One of our most exciting wins in the last round of bargaining was the creation of a new major review and raise for Career Instructional and Research Faculty. Until now, Career faculty had two opportunities for promotion (to Senior I and II), but nothing akin to Post-Tenure Review raises that full Professors are eligible for every six years. This change allows Career faculty who have reached the highest rank in their category (or who are in a single-rank category, such as Professor of Practice) and have appointments of at least 0.5 annualized FTE to undergo an optional Career Continuous Employment…

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Members voted in favor of maintaining TRP

Members of United Academics have spoken, and Article 31 Tenure Reduction Plan will remain in place. Of the faculty who voted, 96.52% voted to maintain the current system. The Administration proposed to end the tenured faculty’s TRP, which has been in place for at least 30 years, two days before the end of last year’s bargaining round. We anticipate that the Administration will again try to dismantle the TRP in the next round of bargaining. This decisive No vote against the Administration’s proposal will make it easier for us to bargain against their future attempts. Thank you from your colleagues on the Executive…

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Merit Policy Considerations

Executive Summary: The College of Arts and Sciences has issued guidance for unit merit policies that would require faculty to meet expectations in each of their areas of responsibility in order to be eligible for any merit raise at all. Such a requirement would be in conflict with the language and intent of Section 3b of Article 26 of the collective bargaining agreement. More importantly, pushing such a policy could backfire, encouraging units to adopt lower standards for teaching, service, and research than they might absent this guidance-especially in light of the unprecedented disruptions to every domain of our work over…

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Vote NO on our Administration’s proposal to gut the TRP

The faculty union’s Executive Committee urges our members to vote against the Administration’s proposal to eliminate the longstanding and popular Tenure Reduction Plan (TRP). Please vote No for your colleagues if not for yourself. The gist is that the Administration wants to take away the tenured faculty’s current guarantee of a year-and-a-half post-retirement income in exchange for a small increase in retirement benefits for PERS retirees and almost no increase for ORP retirees. The Administration made its proposal to end the tenured faculty’s TRP, which has been in place for at least 30 years, two days before the end of last…

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Nominations for delegates, officers, and representatives are now open!

We have elections for five officer and all representative positions this year, with nominations due by March 22, 2023. All members in good standing* are eligible to serve as officers or representatives and nominate other members in good standing. Self-nominations are also permitted. If you’re interested in running, our current board members are happy to talk to you and answer your questions. As always, you can contact UA staff with any questions at [email protected] Open positions: Five Executive Council and all Representative Assembly positions are open. The Executive Council (EC) is the primary leadership body of United Academics, focusing on initiating,…

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Solidarity with UA Student Workers

University of Oregon United Academics supports UO Student Workers’ unionization efforts and stands in solidarity with workers’ struggle to improve working conditions on campus. Additionally, UOUA condemns the ongoing anti-union and union busting behavior of the University of Oregon, including but not limited to: Threatening student workers’ jobs or rights to organize. Discouraging or banning discussion of UOSW’s unionization efforts during work time (when other non-work related discussions are permitted). Discouraging or banning students from card-signing in campus spaces and workplaces while off-the-clock. The removal of protected union posters and materials from work-neutral spaces. The discriminatory banning of union pins…

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Solidarity and Community Events

Solidarity with UA Student Workers

University of Oregon United Academics supports UO Student Workers’ unionization efforts and stands in solidarity with workers’ struggle to improve working conditions on campus. Additionally, UOUA condemns the ongoing anti-union and union busting behavior of the University of Oregon, including but not limited to: Threatening student workers’ jobs or rights to organize. Discouraging or banning discussion of UOSW’s unionization efforts during work time (when other non-work related discussions are permitted). Discouraging or banning students from card-signing in campus spaces and workplaces while off-the-clock. The removal of protected union posters and materials from work-neutral spaces. The discriminatory banning of union pins…


Balancing Work and Caregiving: A Best Practices Teach-In Summary

Throughout 2021-2022, United Academics and members from the CSWS Caregiver Campaign continued their collaborative efforts to push the University of Oregon administration to address issues of equity and inclusion for UO faculty struggling to balance the demands of caregiving while fulfilling their employment expectations. On April 27, we hosted a joint zoom teach-in with 43 attendees. The contents of this report lay out the scope of the issues but also provide hands-on practical strategies to address challenges that have existed long before the Covid-19 pandemic. There is a video recording of the Teach-In available on the CSWS website, as well…


COVID Planning: The Work Continues

Dear colleagues, Many of you have read the petition sent by CSWS recently to the Office of the Provost. UAUO fully agrees with the concerns Professors Escallón, McKinley, and Stephen articulated, and we are also in full support of their ask that “caregivers of unvaccinated children (children under 12) can continue to teach and attend meetings [remotely] at least until their family members receive the vaccine.” We’ve also heard from faculty whose health puts them at serious risk by being in-person, yet they cannot qualify for ADA accommodations. And for those of us who are able to come back to campus, we…


UAUO Protest Pollack-Pelzner Linfield University

Recently the President of Linfield University, Miles K. Davis, summarily fired Professor Daniel Pollack-Pelzner, a Shakespeare scholar who had held an endowed chair in the Department of English and had represented the faculty as a member of the Board of Trustees. According to the university administration, Pollack-Pelzner was terminated for reasons unrelated to his achievements as a teacher, researcher, or publishing scholar. Rather, the administration states that he was sacked because he had “engaged in conduct that is harmful to the university,” specifically that he had “violated instructions to preserve the attorney-client privilege” and that he had “circulated false statements…


Mental Health Month

May is Mental Health Month! Various departments and programs on campus have put out lists of resources that we encourage you to share with your students as appropriate, but if you haven’t already seen some of those, here are some you may choose to share. Note that UA’s board and staff have not personally used all of these services and resources. UO Student Resources list: https://blogs.uoregon.edu/online/uo-resources/ This list has resources for navigating your student experience not limited to mental health; being aware of some of these programs and services, including tutoring, technical support, and more, may help some students address and…