Member Vote on EC Decision

We have received several requests for a member vote to either affirm or overturn the Executive Council’s October 28, 2021 decision not to extend a new contract to Phil Lesch. Per our chapter constitution, overturning the EC’s decision requires a ⅔ majority of those voting, and the vote must be held within two months. 

PSU-AAUP will hold this member vote online with our usual Election Buddy system. The vote will open on Monday, November 29 at 8:00am and close at 5:00pm on Friday, December 10. As is customary, you will receive an Election Buddy voting link on November 29, and a reminder every day thereafter until you cast a ballot. We will announce the results on Monday, December 13.

Some of our members have asked to know more about the specific reasons behind the Executive Council’s decision to search for a new Executive Director. This desire to know more is understandable, but as a Council we have been advised to be prudent by our union’s legal counsel. 

The vote does not change the Executive Council’s need to keep personnel decisions confidential. Thus, the membership will unfortunately be uninformed on the details of the EC’s deliberations when deciding how to vote. The vote will instead be a referendum on member trust in the EC’s ability to make a sound decision given their greater access to information about the situation. The EC hopes that when it is time for you to cast your ballot, you will affirm the decision of the EC, a group of dedicated, thoughtful, and committed member-volunteers who spent considerable time studying and discussing this issue.