Contract: Highlights

Salary
Up to 19.3% over four years, including the 1.6% for the ULP and 1.2%  + dollar amount for healthcare. 

Merit Pay Guidelines
These are developed and approved by faculty within each department.

Market Adjustment Committee
This is made up of two elected faculty and the chair.  A simple majority vote of the committee makes final recommendations for that portion of market adjustments.

Healthcare
We agreed to pay 15% of cost, but we recover the money in base pay. Our language protects us for 4 years, so that even if something catastrophic happens, we will not pay more out of pocket than the across-the-board salary increase covers in the last two years of the contract.

Retrenchment
We got OUR article in its entirety, which is even better protection than the original university rule and is more protective of rank, seniority, and tenure.

Governance
In chair selection and review, we retain a guaranteed role. While the Dean appoints the search committee, the department faculty elect a pool (of at least two) from which the Dean must choose two members. The search committee must include a majority of faculty (two of which are the elected members). This committee supplies a written evaluation and recommendation to the Dean.

RTP guidelines
These are basically the current rule, which is now codified in the contract.

Grievance procedure
We now have a binding grievance procedure, which means that if a faculty member believes that the contract has been violated, including an unfair RTP decision, he/she can file a grievance.  No longer are faculty dependent on Faculty Rights, which is advisory only, or – worse – a public lawsuit that the individual pays for.  Grievances and arbitrations over the contract are paid for by the Akron-AAUP. 

Contract duration
4 years. While this is unusual compared to most contracts, which are 3 years, faculty gain additional protection this way since we’re starting with a good contract. We are especially protected regarding healthcare, since that situation is so volatile right now. And we have 4 years to recuperate and prepare for the next round of negotiations.

Distance Education
For the first time, we have a guaranteed distance education policy that pays faculty extra the first time they teach a DE course.  This contract article also ensures that DE will not be used to erode the number of faculty.

Intellectual Property
Solid intellectual property and copyright guarantees.

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