______________________________________________________________ Gary Rhoades, General Secretary, National AAUP October, 16, 2009 – UC Presentation Video – 107 Linder Hall, College of Business http://www.cba.uc.edu/cf/SpEvents/Gary_Rhoades_101609/index.html ______________________________________________________________

 

What the AAUP Stands For: The Core Principles
Principles versus Policies

 As we elaborate on the concept of “faculty excellence” and explore bargaining issues such as merit pay, compensation models, and health insurance benefits, it will be important to keep in mind the difference between policy and principle. It occurred to some of us that, while there are dozens of national AAUP statements, there isn’t a basic statement of core principles; that is, the basic ideals from which all AAUP statements over the years have flowed. Bargaining issues and positions come and go, and change over time. The core principles that bind the AAUP as a group do not. The Chapter’s staff drafted the statement below, which has been reviewed by the Executive Council. We believe it encompasses the essence of what the AAUP stands for.

                                                                                    — Steve Howe, PhD
                                                                                         Chapter President

The AAUP’s core principles support excellence in the creation and dissemination of knowledge, thereby strengthening colleges and universities. Policies, procedures, and bargaining positions may change from year to year, depending on place, time, and situation, but these two fundamental principles are unchanging and form the underlying basis of AAUP stances on particular situations or issues: Academic Freedom and Shared Governance.  (more)

Investing in Faculty Excellence:  The Next Crucial Step into the 21st Century

I’m often astounded by the changes I’ve observed in my 38 years as an undergraduate student, graduate student, researcher, and faculty member at UC.  Today, we are classified as a Carnegie Research University/Very High, and ranked as one of America’s top public research universities by the National Science Foundation. While the entire UC community can take pride in this university, there is no question that the excellence, hard work, and dedication of UC’s faculty has been key in the institution’s advancement.  Indeed, more so than any other element of our complex institution, the faculty is the university. We teach, guide, and mentor students. We write the grants that bring in outside funding (over $330 million last year alone). We perform the research and write the scholarly mono-graphs and articles that advance academic knowledge, provide the basis for entrepreneurial ventures, and bring prestige to the University. We play an important role in the governance of the institution. Twenty years ago, the previous administration and the State of Ohio felt that our physical plant was deteriorating and could not support our aspirations of greatness.  We now have a re-built and revitalized campus, which is a great asset.  

Now comes the next step. The University community is facing a second and equally serious challenge, as shown in the table below. While the faculty has grown over the past 14 years, there has been a decline in the number of tenured and tenure-eligible faculty members, both in absolute numbers and as a percentage of the total bargaining unit.¹ While the decline in the percentage of the faculty on the tenure track has long been understood to have negative consequences on many fronts, what this table makes crystal clear is the nearly five-year increase in the age of the average tenured faculty member. To me, that’s an equally scary number.   (click here for full story)