A number of faculty have contacted AAUP with concerns about this year's post-tenure review process. Apparently, some departments have been scheduling faculty for review even though the Senate has not yet finished writing the new guidelines.
We raised this issue at our quarterly Labor/Management meeting on October 14th, and asked the provost to send out a joint statement with AAUP to clarify what should be happening during the post-tenure review transition period. We specifically asked about money that is tied to this year's reviews. The provost was reluctant to send out a joint statement at that time, and said she would get back to us.
She replied:
- Currently, no guidelines are in place to conduct post-tenure reviews (we concur with this opinion)
- The 4% salary increase is tied to the new post-tenure review guidelines, therefore, should anyone undergo review under the old guidelines, they would not be eligible for the increase
The Faculty Senate post tenure review committee has been diligently working on drafting new guidelines. The full Senate will vote on their proposal in January. Pending administrative approval, post-tenure reviews should begin early Spring term.
We are still waiting for clarification from the administration about whether they agree with our interpretation of the provisions in Article 30 Section 6B, which establishes a 4% salary pool for faculty who complete a satisfactory review. The money is available in September 2015, and the contract language stipulates that faculty who undergo successful review are eligible for funds the following academic year. We believe that faculty who complete a satisfactory review in AY2014-15 under the new guidelines should be eligible for the 4% salary pool in September 2015.
I hope you find this helpful. We will keep you posted as more information becomes available.
Leanne Serbulo
VP Collective Bargaining