UConn-AAUP Update – July 28, 2020
In this issue:
- Faculty Town Hall
- CSU-AAUP Petition
- Akron-AAUP needs support
Faculty Town Hall
The University’s series of town halls continues, with a faculty town hall planned for July 29, at 12:30 p.m. The town hall is hosted by President Katsouleas and will feature updates from several administrators on reopening plans across the University. The details for the town hall, including how to submit questions in advance, can be found here: https://ait.uconn.edu/town-hall/. The livestream will also be recorded and available to watch later.
CSU-AAUP Petition
CSU-AAUP is calling on colleagues to support them in an effort to require the Board of Regents to ensure the safety and quality of education by protecting those working and learning on their four campuses from the effects of the COVID disease and its potential spread. Three of the four campuses are allowing faculty to choose their modality of instruction, Central Connecticut State faculty do not have that option. Please follow this link to sign the petition and show your support to allow all faculty in the state system to choose their method of instruction.
Akron-AAUP needs support
On July 15, the Board of Trustees at Akron University, at the recommendation of President Gary Miller, terminated 97 full-time faculty positions, 96 of which were part of the Akron-AAUP bargaining unit, and 70 of which were tenured professors.
The trustees and president should rescind this decision or resign their positions.
The administration reopened the collective bargaining agreement with the faculty union by invoking the “force majeure” section of the contract. They are claiming that the pandemic and associated financial difficulties qualifies as the kind of “catastrophic” event that allows them to make reductions in force outside the scope of the contract.
Follow the link above to voice your opinion.
Thank you.
Mary Ellen Junda, President
Jeffrey Ogbar, Executive Vice President
Michael Bailey, Executive Director