Articles by newsletter

Dear Colleagues, As many of you know, the Office of the Provost is asking units to prepare for the possibility of a Graduate Employee (GE) strike as part of an “Academic Continuity Plan.” To help you with planning, this email provides some information concerning the expectations and obligations of faculty members should a strike occur. Our Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) obliges faculty to consult with the University, if requested, concerning how work performed by a striking employee will be covered. However, nothing in the CBA requires faculty to cover for striking workers. Faculty are only required to consult on how…

We’re concerned about academic freedom. Union members have identified a number of priorities for our upcoming round of bargaining starting next January. Issues of academic freedom are our second highest priority, trailing only salaries as the top concern. We’ve identified the need to remain vigilant to ensure that the growing national trend to undermine tenure protections, dictate suitable research and teaching topics, and pack governing boards with extremist political agendas does not happen here in Oregon. We’re aware of the threat in Oregon. No state is immune from the current political upheavals. Although Florida and Texas have made the most…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…