Seeking Equity for Invisible (non-tenure-track) Faculty

1. Seeking Equity for Invisible (non-tenure-track) Faculty Negotiating and Selling the Idea of Promotable Ranks and Associated Merit Pay for Instructors & Lecturers United Faculty of Florida University of North Florida Chapter

2. The Beginning • An entirely new cadre of chapter officers began their term by soliciting areas of concern to university faculty (primarily for the upcoming bargaining for a new collective bargaining agreement) via a poll • Tabulating the results, it became clear that inequitable treatment of Instructors and Lecturers was a major concern (overall pay was the top concern) • Chapter leaders chose promotable ranks for Instructors and Lecturers as the primary goal for bargaining a new CBA. It proved advantageous that raises were also “on the table” that year United Faculty of Florida University of North Florida Chapter

3. CONTEXT: The University • The University of North Florida(UNF), Jacksonville • Established in 1972; is one of twelve institutions in the State University System (SUS) • Five colleges (arts & sciences, health, education, engineering and computing, business) with 53 undergraduate and 28 graduate programs • Enrolls 16,200 students (most from the region, most working part or full time while studying) • Consistently ranked one of “America’s Best Colleges” by Forbes and ThePrinceton Review United Faculty of Florida University of North Florida Chapter

4. CONTEXT: Anti-Union Florida • Because Florida is a “right to work” state, unions do not have a significant ‘stick’ with which to bargain (strikes are illegal) • Governor Rick Scott (R) has repeatedly cited a desire to eradicate public employee unions a la Wisconsin’sScott Walker • In recent years the Republican-controlled and ALEC-following state legislature arbitrarily reduced contributions to public employee retirement accounts and mandated that employees pay the difference (an effective pay cut of 6%) United Faculty of Florida University of North Florida Chapter

5. CONTEXT: The University • The University of North Florida (UNF) • Led by President John Delaney & Board of Trustees • Served 1995-2003 as Jacksonville’s Mayor (1995-2003); social moderate/fiscal conservative with no prior higher education work experience • Credited—by local press and faculty alike—with leading the university through very difficult financial times without layoffs • Uses top-down management system (esp. regarding expenditures & administrative appointments) • $395,000 per year excluding performance bonuses (up to $200K) United Faculty of Florida University of North Florida Chapter

6. UNF: Instructors Faculty • The University of North Florida (UNF) • The President, the Board of Trustees, the administrative bargaining team, and even many tenured faculty did not understand the contributions and the critical role of non-tenure-track faculty (Instructors and Lecturers) • Prevalent attitude that they were “contingent” and disposable • This was an attitude that some tenured faculty seemed to share United Faculty of Florida University of North Florida Chapter

7. UNF: Instructors Faculty • The University of North Florida (UNF) • The President, the Board of Trustees, and the administrative bargaining team did not understand the contributions and the critical role of non-tenure-track faculty (Instructors and Lecturers) • Prevalent attitude that they were “contingent” and disposable • This was an attitude that some tenured faculty seemed to share Instructors/Lecturers not considered faculty despite the fact that they make up 15% of total “in unit” faculty (17% excluding visiting professors), many with 10+ years of service to the university United Faculty of Florida University of North Florida Chapter

8. UNF: Instructors Faculty • President’s comments to union leaders early in bargaining process (paraphrased): “I want to get more money into the hands of our lowest paid faculty, our Assistant Professors in Health and Arts & Sciences” • Subsequent discussions demonstrated that he did NOT see Instructors and Lecturers as true faculty. • Administrative Bargaining Team adamantly opposed any use of the term “professor” for Instructors and Lecturers (we proposed “clinical professors”) United Faculty of Florida University of North Florida Chapter

9. Merit = Money • Collective Bargaining Agreement provided general criteria for tenure-line faculty promotions and raises • Each promotion (Assistant to Associate and Associate to Professor) brings a raise of 12.5% of base • this is compounded because the CBA also provides for one summer course at 12.5% of base Instructors and Lecturers were ineligible for promotion; their only advance was an automatic $2000 raise and title change to “Senior” after eight years of service; it would be difficult to use C & I funds for Instructors because there were no ranks (eliminating inversion) United Faculty of Florida University of North Florida Chapter

10. Faculty Pay by Rank The mean salary is skewed higher by several highly paid Instructors in Engineering and Business. Many Instructors with 8-10 years of experience at the university were making $40,000. United Faculty of Florida University of North Florida Chapter

11. Our Approach • Using the Facts • UNF Unique • Instructors without means for demonstrating merit • Salary Data • Communications • New website (UNF-UFF.org) • Regular Email communications • Meetings with faculty regarding the issue • Publicizing dates of and recruiting attendees for bargaining sessions • The Consequences of No Action United Faculty of Florida University of North Florida Chapter

12. UNF Unique (and in the wrong) • We had a strong bargaining point (pointing out fact to shame the university): UNF was the only institution in the State University System with NO means of promotion or promotable ranks for non-tenure track faculty. United Faculty of Florida University of North Florida Chapter

13. Social Justice • We argued that fighting for our least empowered colleagues was the ethical thing to do United Faculty of Florida University of North Florida Chapter

14. Human Capital • We had a strong group of Instructors and Lecturers with amazing stories to tell • Our “lead” Instructor, Mark Ari, put together a group of Instructors and Lecturers to explain to the administration their work, accomplishments, contributions, and sacrifices for the university • We opened our argument with the human story and packed the room for the presentation United Faculty of Florida University of North Florida Chapter

15. Resistant Administration and Faculty • Our efforts were not universally well received • We continued to argue with the President for the need for ranks for Instructors and Lecturers • We had a small but vocal group of senior faculty who opposed our efforts • Claimed we expended far too much capital on these colleagues at the expense of the needs of the “true” faculty • Efforts led some faculty to perception that our chapter was controlled by non-tenure track faculty (despite reality that all officers are tenured faculty) United Faculty of Florida University of North Florida Chapter

16. Details, Questions, Ongoing • This presentation is available on our union website: UNF-UFF.org United Faculty of Florida University of North Florida Chapter

17. In recent years the Republican-controlled and ALEC-following state legislature arbitrarily reduced contributions to public employee retirement accounts and mandated that employees pay the difference (an effective pay cut of 6%) United Faculty of Florida University of North Florida Chapter

18. United Faculty of Florida University of North Florida Chapter