Discover and read the best of Twitter Threads about #FAMhearings
Most recents (10)
Cathy Wagner, Professor of English and president of Miami AAUP, takes the stand. Her testimony shows not only that faculty commonly change rank from VAP to TT or TCPL, but also that they continue to do the same work after they are permanently hired
VAPs are NOT “seasonal/casual employees,” Cathy shows. They are not hired at the last minute to “plug holes.” What our research shows is that faculty who start as VAPs are sometimes retained as TT or TCPL faculty, and it’s because we need them to teach the same courses
“It’s identical work” regardless of rank.
Anne Whitesell, assistant professor of Poli Sci, takes the stand for FAM, explaining how she and the research team corrected the university’s data about visiting faculty. #FAMhearings
These include people who were visiting at Miami, but who moved into a TCPL or tenure line role
Anne’s takedown of the university’s methodology includes faculty who weren’t counted as retrained but who were in fact retained, and faculty who were miscategorized according to publicly available data.
The university’s lawyers begin their cross examination of John McNay, who clarifies that the UC bargaining unit is roughly 65% tenure eligible and 35% non tenure eligible, and librarians are included in the unit too #FAMhearings
The university lawyer seems to believe that different ranks of faculty can’t participate in bargaining on behalf of other ranks. John clarifies “We don’t see those distinctions. We are one faculty, and we understand each other’s needs perfectly well.”
“All the faculty have academic freedom. That runs counter to what we heard yesterday,” says John. “We don’t believe that academic freedom is only for tenure-line faculty.” #FAMhearings
FAM’s first witness takes the stand!!!! UC professor and former Ohio AAUP president (and national AAUP council person) John McNay! 🔥🔥🔥
FAM: “has UC been able to to address competing interests in its labor contracts?”
John: “Yes. UC is big, and complicated. Our librarians have been in the unit for 40 years. NTT faculty have been in the unit for 49 years. I haven’t witnessed any of the conflicts” 1/
John: “Yes. UC is big, and complicated. Our librarians have been in the unit for 40 years. NTT faculty have been in the unit for 49 years. I haven’t witnessed any of the conflicts” 1/
“I just don’t see the conflicts that have been described in this hearing today. In fact, when Akron wanted to eliminate 100 positions, the union decided that they would negotiate to protect NTT faculty.” #FAMhearings
Provost Liz Mullenix takes the stand:
“I’ve been an administrator my whole career—27 years” #FAMhearings
“My job is to support the faculty.” What about the majority of faculty who want to be unionized under a single bargaining unit? 🧐🤨
Associate Vice President for Academic Personnel Ruth Groom takes the stand. She argues that VAPs are temporary faculty and that staff who also have more than 50% teaching responsibilities are staff, not faculty
The judge helpfully asked the university lawyers to “short course” their discussion of each and every faculty member in the hybrid faculty table 🐢
FAM’s cross-examination of Associate Provost Cox: “Are you aware that most public universities in Ohio have a bargaining unit that includes TT fac, NTT fac, and librarians in the same unit?”
“Yes.” #FAMhearings
“Yes.” #FAMhearings
“Are you aware that at Cleveland State TCPL faculty just won professional leave with the support of TT faculty, and that was through the bargaining process?”
“I would celebrate that. I find that exciting. But just because it happened at CSU doesn’t mean it would happen at Miami”
“I would celebrate that. I find that exciting. But just because it happened at CSU doesn’t mean it would happen at Miami”
“My concern is the differences in status, numbers, and workload.”
“Do you think your worry should override faculty will?”
“No, but I don’t know how many TCPL faculty signed cards. That makes me anxious.” #FAMhearings
“Do you think your worry should override faculty will?”
“No, but I don’t know how many TCPL faculty signed cards. That makes me anxious.” #FAMhearings
FAM’s proposed bargaining unit would “in my role, I represent ALL faculty, and my concern is looking out for the interests of all faculty. But VAPs and TCPL don’t have the same status as TT faculty.”#FAMhearings
The Associate provost sums up: “combining these groups has the potential to dilute the power of individual voices”. The non-existent power of individual voices, you mean?
“I’m a mathematician. I think there are different and competing interests among the different categories of faculty.”
Associate Provost for Academic Affairs Dana Cox takes the stand, arguing that librarians are not faculty and that the roles at Miami are substantively different #FAMhearings
“Do nonTT faculty have academic freedom?” asks the lawyer.
“No.”
“No.”
Cox argues that “tenure is reserved for those who include in their workload scholarly pursuits.” But librarians and other ranks of faculty DO have to show scholarly productivity for promotion
FAM cross-examination of Dean of the Libraries:
“Are you aware that librarians have the legal right to unionize in OH?”
“Yes.”
“Are you suggesting that they should have their own separate 30 person bargaining unit?”
“My preference is no collective bargaining unit at all.”
“Are you aware that librarians have the legal right to unionize in OH?”
“Yes.”
“Are you suggesting that they should have their own separate 30 person bargaining unit?”
“My preference is no collective bargaining unit at all.”
“Are you aware that U of Akron, BGSU, Central State, U of Cincinnati, all Kent State all have bargaining units that include librarians?”
“Yes.”
“Yes.”
“Are you aware that at Wright State, faculty with 12-month and 9-month contracts are covered under the same bargaining contract?”
