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Call for Nominations to PSU-AAUP Leadership Positions

January 29, 2026 / PSU-AAUP

Nominations for PSU-AAUP leadership positions are now open!

Is this the year you or someone you respect and admire step forward to help lead our union?

PSU-AAUP is seeking nominations for leadership positions, including President, Vice Presidents, and Councilors-At-Large. These roles are central to strengthening our union and ensuring faculty voices help shape decisions that affect our work and our students.
PSU-AAUP leaders help to:

support the bargaining team and contract action;
advance the efforts of classified staff, part-time faculty, and students in advocating for high-quality, affordable higher education;
voice the concerns of PSU faculty—including non-tenure-track faculty, academic professionals, and tenure-track faculty—to administration, legislators, the press, and the public; and
build a strong, connected union community.

We encourage members to nominate colleagues they believe would serve in these leadership roles well. Self-nominations are also welcome, and prior union leadership experience is not required.

Nominations may be submitted via our Executive Council Nomination Form. It’s important to have a good mix of APs, non-tenure track faculty, research faculty, and tenure-related faculty.

We are seeking nominees for the following PSU-AAUP officer and Executive Council positions, with terms beginning May 1, 2026:

President
(Two-year term, ending April 30, 2028)
Vice President for Collective Bargaining
(Two-year term, ending April 30, 2028)
Vice President for Membership and Organizing
(Two-year term, ending April 30, 2028)
Vice President for Communications and Public Relations
(Two-year term, ending April 30, 2028)
Councilors-At-Large (three positions)
(Two-year terms, ending April 30, 2028)

All nominees will be contacted to confirm their acceptance of their nomination and offered an opportunity to submit a 150-word statement of candidacy.

Timeline of elections (Subject to change):

Feb. 13 -- Nominations close
Feb. 16 -- Executive Council Slate announced and nominations with petitions opens
March 13 -- Nominations with petitions close
April 1 -- Candidates' names and bios sent to membership
April 2 -- Ballots open
April 17 -- Ballots close

The Executive Council generally meets bi-weekly during the academic year and less frequently during the summer. Scheduling times may be different based on the current EC schedules. The Executive Council holds a full-day planning retreat with the possibility for additional strategic planning meetings.

Details about our nominations and elections processes are in the PSU-AAUP Constitution & Bylaws. Should you have any questions about the Association or the open positions, you can contact any of the current executive council members, or the Nominations Committee. We look forward to hearing from you!

With appreciation,
Janet Cowal, Jennifer Kerns, Peter Kramer
PSU-AAUP 2026 Nominating Committee

Detailed Descriptions of open Executive Council Positions

President (release time position)
The President is one of the eight officer positions of the Executive Council. The President shall call meetings of the Executive Council and the Chapter and preside at those meetings. The President shall be responsible for implementing and administering decisions of the Chapter and the Executive Council and shall have such other duties as may be assigned by the Executive Council. The President and their designated alternate shall serve as spokesperson for the Chapter. They or an alternate designated by the Executive Council shall represent the Chapter at national and regional AAUP meetings. The President may delegate the Chair of the Unit Representative Committee to another Council member if the position of Vice President of Membership and Organizing is vacant.

Vice President for Collective Bargaining (release time position)
The VP-Bargaining is one of the eight officer positions on the Executive Council. The Vice President for Collective Bargaining shall be responsible for the coordination of activities of the Chapter for collective bargaining. The VP serves, ex-officio, on the Unit Representative Committee and on standing or ad-hoc committees on salaries, workloads, and other matters subject to contract negotiation. In the absence of the President, they shall preside at meetings of the Executive Council or chapter.

Vice President for Membership and Organizing (release time position)
The VP-Membership is one of the eight officer positions on the Executive Council. The Vice President for Membership and Organizing shall primarily be responsible for building and maintaining the membership of the chapter through internal organizing. The VP serves as ex-officio as Chair of the Unit Representative Committee, and chairs the Organizing Committee.

Vice President for Communications and Public Relations (release time position)
The VP-Com shall be responsible for the promotion of the Chapter’s missions and objectives through communications for the Chapter, to include regular communications to the Chapter membership, communications during negotiations, external communications, and public relations, and is the designated media contact for the Chapter, with the President. This VP ensures that all Association communications are consistent with the Association’s governing documents and strategic objectives. The VP recommends the appointment of the Strategic Communications Committee to the Executive Council and presides over the activities of the committee.

Councilors At Large (3 positions open)
Councilors At Large are not officers of the Association, and these are not normally release time positions. Their participation is generally limited to Executive Council deliberation and decision-making and reading and responding to emails from leadership and members. Most Councilors At Large, however, assume other duties on behalf of the Executive Council such as joining subcommittees, and representing PSU-AAUP in forums on and off campus. Councilors are invited to participate in all organizing and contract action.