Articles by newsletter

January 3, 2018

The Chickens Are Roosting, Do YOU Know Where Your 403(b) Is?

Since the first day faculty began organizing United Academics, one of the requests our postdoctoral faculty had was for the union to fix the “PERS problem.” Postdocs and PIs were paying into PERS accounts, but since most postdocs were not state employees for more than 5 years, few were ever vesting in their accounts. The money paid in was remaining in the PERS system, but never benefitted the faculty for whom it was paid. It was also difficult for PIs to compete for grants because they had to include retirement payments into their cost calculations when applying for grants. Scientists…

October 27, 2017

Social Justice through Antiracist Writing Assessment

On Friday, October 27th, UO Composition will host “Social Justice through Antiracist Writing Assessment,” a symposium that will bring together instructors of writing-intensive courses and campus leaders in curricular reform to develop more inclusive pedagogies. The symposium features an antiracist assessment workshop led by Dr. Asao B. Inoue, whose social justice-focused work in Rhetoric and Composition addresses the disproportionate barriers to success for students of color, first-generation college students, and other students of diverse backgrounds.

October 17, 2017

Solidarity and Recovery support in Puerto Rico

As faculty with family in Puerto Rico, we recommend a focused fundraiser for ISER Caribe. Here is also a helpful list of local organizations. Among other topics at our membership meeting, we will hear from Professor Alaí Reyes-Santos who is organizing a delegation of students for a trip to Puerto Rico. The pedagogical goals are: To engage the ethical issues raised by the current crisis in Puerto Rico through documentation and relief efforts in affected areas. Deepen our understanding of what digital humanities research can provide to address issues of racial, economic and environmental justice through documentation and distribution of…

October 2, 2017

CAS Professional Development Policy Revisions

Recently, CAS sent a memo to department heads reminding them of the need to finalize a Professional Development Policy by October 20. Units were working on these policies last spring, but a series of miscommunications and misunderstandings resulted in a decision to delay finalizing the policies until this fall. We hope this delay has given faculty enough time to discuss the best policy for their department. CAS has sent a template and guidance to the departments to help frame the development of the policy. Several of our colleagues have asked if their unit can just use or modify the Professional…

October 2, 2017

United Academics Statement on Title IX

United Academics supports all victims of sexual, relationship, and gender-based violence and will continue to work to make our campus a safe and welcoming place for all students, faculty, and staff. We look forward to working with the administration to ensure that university policy and practices support our students, faculty, and staff throughout the investigation and resolution processes. We hope our university will resist implementing the very harmful options the OCR has made available to campuses and will do what they can to reverse this harmful guidance.

September 25, 2017

A Hidden History: Why aren’t there more black people in Oregon?

Thursday, October 12, 2017 3:30-5:00pm John E. Jaqua Academic Center for Student Athletes Harrington Auditorium, 1615 East 13th Ave.  Walidah Imarisha describes herself as an historian at heart, reporter by (w)right, and rebel by reason. Winner of a 2017 Oregon Book Award for creative nonfiction for Angels with Dirty Faces: Three Stories of Crime, Prison, and Redemption, she also has edited two anthologies, authored a poetry collection, and is currently working on an Oregon Black history book, forthcoming from AK Press. Imarisha has taught in Stanford University’s Program of Writing and Rhetoric, Portland State University’s Black Studies Department, Oregon State University’s…

September 14, 2017

Stand With Lane County Workers For A Better Contract.

Rally for Respect, Dignity, and a Fair Contract. Lane County Workers need your help! After nine months of negotiations, we are still without a contract. Those who are people of Faith, believe in social justice, and Union brothers and sisters, WE NEED YOU! We are standing up against an economic attack on our community and need you standing shoulder-to-shoulder with us. Come support the Workers of Lane County Local 2831. Monday, September 18 at 12 PM – 1 PM Wayne Morse Free Speech Plaza Facebook Event

September 14, 2017

2017 Fall Term Implicit Bias Trainings

We would like to extend an invitation to the upcoming Implicit Bias Trainings lead by our very own Dr. Erik Girvan, Associate Professor from the Knight Law School. Thursday, 9/21/17 | 10:00 am – Noon | EMU Cedar + Spruce Rooms (231-232) Thursday, 10/12/17 | 10:00 am – Noon | EMU Cedar + Spruce Rooms (231-232) Monday, 11/6/17 | 1:00 – 3:00 pm | EMU Cedar + Spruce Rooms (231-232) Registration for these trainings is found at the Making Tracks HR portal. There is plenty of space so please pass this along to your departments and especially to any members…