Timely Contract Highlights for Fixed-Term Faculty

Today we held an information session open to all fixed-term faculty members to share important reminders about timely provisions of our new Collective Bargaining Agreement that apply specifically to fixed-term faculty. If you were unable to attend the information session we want to make sure that all fixed-term faculty have the information about gains we made in negotiations. 

We were able to negotiate these improvements because of the strength of our unity through union membership. To join with us and become a UAOSU member click here.

Timely Contract Highlights for Fixed-Term Faculty

Multi-Year Appointments for All Promoted Fixed-Term Faculty

All fixed-term faculty who have achieved promotion will receive multi-year appointments of at least two years. If you received an appointment renewal for less than two years, please reach out so we can correct the situation.

Shortened Time to Promotion Eligibility for All Fixed-Term Faculty

Our contract shortened the length of service requirements for promotion eligibility for all fixed-term faculty.

All Instructors (including PAC, ESL, & ALS), Lecturers, Faculty Research Assistants, and Research Associates are eligible to apply for promotion this coming academic year if they began employment at OSU no later than Fall 2017 and will have accumulated at least 3.0 FTE years in service by the end of the 2020-2021 academic year. Previously promoted faculty in these categories are eligible for their second promotion to Senior II if they were promoted no later than Fall 2017 and will, by the end of the 2020-2021 academic year, have accumulated 3.0 FTE years in service since promotion.

All Professors (Senior Research), Professors (Practice), Professors (Clinical), and Professors (Extension) are eligible to apply for promotion this coming academic year if they began employment at OSU no later than Fall 2015 and will have accumulated at least 4.5 FTE years in service by the end of the 2020-2021 academic year. Previously promoted faculty in these categories are eligible for their second promotion if they were promoted no later than Fall 2015 and will, by the end of the 2020-2021 academic year, have accumulated 4.5 FTE years in service since promotion.

Unit Heads are ordinarily responsible for providing bargaining unit members with instructions for preparing the dossier by the end of the Spring term of the year prior to the one in which the review is requested. However, since these provisions of the contract are new, it’s likely many eligible faculty did not receive this information before Spring term ended. We recommend reaching out as soon as possible to your Unit Head to learn the process and timeline for submitting a dossier for consideration for promotion. If you have any questions or difficulty getting this information, please let us know! If you have any uncertainty about whether you’ve met the length of service requirements, we can also help with that.

Promotion Pathways for Research Associates, Instructors (ALS), and Instructors (PAC)

Research Associates, Instructors (ALS), and Instructors (PAC) are now eligible for promotion. Length of service requirements are as described above. As described above, you may need to reach out to your Unit Head to be sure you have the information necessary for preparing and submitting your dossier.

Aligned Promotion Pathways for Instructors (ESL)

Instructors (ESL) will now be promoted under the same system as other fixed-term faculty, including receiving the full 10% raise at promotion. We were unable to secure an agreement where previous progressions are recognized as promotion. However, all previously progressed Instructors (ESL) are eligible to apply for promotion this year. All other instructors (ESL) who began employment at OSU no later Fall 2017 and will, by the end of the 2020-2021 academic year, have accumulated at least 3.0 FTE years in service are also eligible to apply for promotion this year.  As described above, you may need to reach out to your Unit Head to be sure you have the information necessary for preparing and submitting your dossier.

Faculty Decide When to Request Promotion

Previously, Unit Heads were able to prevent faculty from requesting promotion. Now, all faculty who meet the length of service requirements described above will be able to request promotion at their discretion, with one exception. Because new promotion opportunities may cause a surge in promotion cases this coming academic year, faculty within an academic unit may elect to establish a maximum number of fixed-term promotion cases for consideration. If a maximum number is established, academic unit faculty will adopt guidelines to prioritize which fixed-term bargaining unit faculty requesting promotion in the 2020-2021 academic year will be considered for promotion in the 2020-2021 academic year and which will be considered in the following academic year. Instructors (ESL) who have previously achieved progression must be considered in the 2020-2021 academic year if they so request. If you are being denied the opportunity to request promotion, let us know. Absent a faculty-led process, this cannot happen, even under the exception described here. 

Teaching Workload Equity

Part-time v. full-time status can no longer be used as the basis for assigning a different per course FTE. If you are teaching the same or very similar courses as colleagues but receiving a lower FTE per course, let us know! Our contract prevents this practice that has often been used to keep faculty below benefit eligibility.

Minimum Salaries Effective September 16, 2020

The following minimum salaries go into effect on September 16. If you received a reappointment letter that indicated you would continue at a salary below the new minimum salary for your job category, reach out to your Unit Head or supervisor for clarification. If you need help or advice for having that conversation, don’t hesitate to contact us.

To become a member of UAOSU click here.

In Solidarity,

UAOSU Organizing Committee