It has been reported to us that a large group of faculty has been advised that they will be relocated from their offices in Neuberger Hall to a cubicle farm on the 3rd floor of Market Center Building in December. The cubicles are in an open room. They are not individual offices. The workspaces do not have any space for a bookshelves, side chairs, or filing cabinets. The spaces will not provide faculty with any privacy to meet with students. Neither PSU-AAUP nor the faculty have been advised how faculty members will be expected to hold office hours.
Faculty members have expressed great concern over the negative impact this workspace will have on many areas of responsibility. It will not provide tenure track faculty members with a space conducive to research and writing which is essential for the pursuit of tenure. This space will not provide a safe space to meet with students. There is nowhere for faculty members to store resource materials needed to do their work.
PSU-AAUP is in discussion with impacted faculty members about filing a grievance about the violation of Article 24 Section 5, and we are discussing the matter in Labor Management committee.