After the PSU-AAUP Executive Council approved the -1 amended version of the SB 214, PERS staff sought to add language that would ensure that a post-doctoral scholar who stayed in Oregon and accepted a PERS eligible position would have a way to transition from post-doctoral scholar status to regular employee status at a PERS institution.
PERS drafted a preliminary -2 amendment, which was reviewed by PSU-AAUP. Our judgement is there is nothing in the -2 amendment that would have an unwelcome impact on faculty members or post-doctoral scholars, nor would it diminish our interest in supporting the bill. By creating a path in the statute to regular employee status, the -2 amendment could provide post-doctoral scholars an incentive to consider remaining in Oregon past the five year timelimit to their post-doctoral scholar status.
Neither the -1 or -2 amendments have been approved by the Senate Committee on Workforce, but we expect the committee work session to be scheduled on the amended bill soon where the amended bill will be moved out of committee.