UAOSU Equity Initiative

Salary inequity has been a driving issue for faculty since early in our organizing campaign. We have pursued salary equity through bargaining, most notably winning a 0.5% equity pool, to be distributed by admin, in FY2024. We are committed to negotiating for more policy changes and investments to reduce long-standing inequities in faculty salaries. To build a more effective dataset about salary inequities at OSU, we are seeking to support UAOSU Equity Fellows to collect and analyze data to track these issues over time and inform our next round of negotiations with the administration. 

Goals

1. Develop a clear shared definition of salary inequity and collect data/information about those elements.
2. Collect member experiences, stories, and quantitative data related to salary inequity, to identify priorities for our negotiations and actions. 
3. Engage members in the work of social justice through our union. 
4. Build our culture around equity and anti-oppression. 

Equity Fellows

To continue in this work, we are looking for up to three UAOSU members who wish to dedicate some time and effort to this work as Equity Fellows over the next year. These fellows will be supported to continue these investigations, specifically to inform our advocacy for the upcoming equity distribution, support future bargaining, and build our culture around social justice. 

Fellows would commit to projects like: 

• Developing a survey instrument we can use annually to gather data about social identities, to be used in connection with the salary data that we gather
• Conducting focus groups, 1:1 interviews, and other story-gathering with faculty with marginalized identities
• Documenting department- or unit-level historical patterns of promotions, salary increases, and departures over time 
• Analyzing survey data, historical salary data, or nationwide data
• Collecting and analyzing previous OSU reports, surveys, and other data addressing women and BIPOC experiences related to salary
• Synthesizing and sharing data in conversation with UAOSU members, including co-facilitation of conversations about what we can do with what we’ve learned

Fellows will be brought on for one term at a time, with the expectation of working about 10 hours per week over the course of 10-11 weeks, including attending regular team meetings with other UAOSU leaders. Fellows are expected to identify a project outcome and work with other UAOSU members and staff to propose and carry out a plan of work. UAOSU retains the right to direct the result of the work, and the Fellow will design and implement the project.

For this work, each Fellow will receive up to $5000 cash compensation. Compensation will be provided after completion of the work. This position is classified as an independent contractor. An IRS Form 1099 will be issued for any compensation for this work in January of the following year. Fellows will be responsible for any tax obligations associated with the stipend.  

To express interest, please fill out the application form, which asks for the following: 

1. What interests you about this work? Which of the program outcomes draw you?
2. What skills do you bring to this work? These could include specific disciplinary training or research expertise, but also campus relationships, lived experience, or other things. 
3. This work can take various forms. Please describe the project you plan for your 10-11 weeks. How will your project contribute to the data-gathering needs of UAOSU? 

These materials will be reviewed by a committee including members of the Social Justice Committee and the Executive Council. Applications will be evaluated based on the criteria below. Candidates may be asked to interview with members of the evaluation committee. Final hiring decisions will be made by the Executive Council.

For Summer term, applications are due by May 25, 2022. Interviews will be held the week of May 30. Applicants will be notified no later than June 6. Summer term work must be completed by August 30. As funding is available, applications will reopen for Fall 2022 or future terms. 

Questions? Contact us at info@uaosu.org. 

Application criteria

Applicants should:

• Be a current UAOSU member
• Commit to an average of 10 hours per week over the course of the term for a total 100 hours of work, plus additional time to sharing their work after their term, as noted below
• Describe a project that substantively contributes to data gathering and analysis and fits a realistic time frame for completion
• Bring relevant skills to contribute to the analysis of equity issues and to completing their particular project
• Commit to sharing their work through a written report or other documentation at the conclusion of their term as well as through occasional meetings or presentations beyond their term as Fellow (e.g. Collaboratively presenting at a UAOSU general membership meeting, etc)