American Association of University Professors
University of Delaware Chapter


301 McDowell Hall, University of Delaware, Newark, DE  19716
Phone: 302-831-2292; Fax: 302-831-4119; E-mail: aaup-mail@udel.edu


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October 2002 aaUPBEAT

The Union's Election Issue

Introduction

As we stated in last month's newsletter, the AAUP became the UD faculty's bargaining agent in 1972 when the faculty selected the AAUP over other unions to represent them.

Over the years the union's activities on the faculty's behalf have entailed a range of tasks, including contract negotiations, defending faculty free speech rights, guaranteeing equality of treatment regardless of a faculty member's race, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation or belief system, and defining the University's educational mission by exploring the relationship of our teaching and research to the world around us, not just locally but nationally and globally.

In order to do such things well, the AAUP must have officers who take the work of representing faculty seriously. That work isn't always exactly the same, since each era has its special concerns, but the work's basic thrust remains consistent: to protect faculty as they go about the business of teaching and research.

Such officers of course don't come out of nowhere. They come from the membership's ranks and are elected by the membership.

The AAUP's next election is in November.

AAUP Elections

Once again it is election time in the union. To make voting as convenient as possible, ballots for the election of AAUP officers will be sent out to the Association's members on Nov. 7. The completed ballots must be back in the AAUP office by 12 noon on Monday, Nov. 18.

Also please take note of the fact that on Monday, November 11 from noon until 1:30 p.m. there will be an open faculty meeting in the Ewing Room of the Perkins Student Center. At that time, AAUP members can meet the candidates and query them on issues you consider important to the union's goals, both long- and short-term.

Candidates for AAUP Officer Positions

All candidates for office were asked to provide the following information:

  1. Name.
  2. Position at UD.
  3. Date of joining the AAUP.
  4. AAUP service.
  5. A brief statement of issues, why you want to serve, etc. At the very most, this should be 250 words. Each candidate's information is printed below

President

Name: Linda Bucher.
Position at UD: Associate Professor, Department of Nursing.
Date of Joining AAUP: 1990.
AAUP Service: Positions held within the AAUP include: Member, Collective Bargaining Committee (2001-2002); Vice-President, Executive Council (1999-Present); Member-at-Large, Executive Council (1996-1999); Member, Steering Committee (1995).
Statement of Purpose: This year, the AAUP celebrates its 30-year tenure as the University of Delaware faculty bargaining agent. As a faculty union, I believe that the AAUP's primary directive is to safeguard and advance the interests of the faculty. These interests generally relate to salaries, benefits, workloads, workplace rights and academic freedom. The most recently ratified contract is an excellent example of doing just this. As a member of that Collective Bargaining Committee, I was pleased to be able to present a contract to the faculty that included salary increases well above inflation, access to long-term care health insurance, research semesters for assistant professors, improved language pertaining to maternity benefits, and a retirement incentive program to name a few. These gains were realized because of the commitment that your representatives made to secure a fair and equitable contract.

As a member of the AAUP for the past twelve years, I have gained valuable experience from the variety of positions I have held within the organization. My vision for the future of the AAUP includes greater faculty participation in the AAUP. Currently, slightly more than half of faculty are dues-paying members. This can be improved. AAUP needs the support of all faculty to present a strong and united front when addressing faculty issues. Equally important, I aim to strengthen the communication between the faculty and the union's leadership. For example, the current AAUP structure includes the steering committee and the departmental representatives. Communication to and from these groups can be improved. Should I be elected as the next president of the AAUP, I will work to achieve these goals.

Name: James Raths.
Position at UD: Professor of Education, School of Education.
Date of Joining AAUP: 1998.
Statement of Purpose: As President of the AAUP, I will build on the contributions and traditions of this faculty association that reflect the courage, wisdom and commitment of its previous leaders. Teaching at the University of Delaware is a rewarding and distinct privilege, thanks in part to the contributions of the AAUP. I will work to find ways to give AAUP members a greater voice in the decisions that the AAUP makes; to convince members that the AAUP should be even more active in defending academic freedom on campus; and to review the manner in which the AAUP represents and advocates for its members in disputes with the University. Finally, I will seek to discover why the University-AAUP contract circulated to us during the summer in a blue booklet is different in a significant way from the contract which members approved by vote last spring

Vice President

Name: Michael Zinn.
Position at UD: Professor, Department of Music. University of Delaware faculty member for 29 years.
Date of Joining AAUP: 1974.
AAUP Service: Positions held within the AAUP chapter include: Steering Committee, Bargaining Team, Chapter Secretary, and Department Representative. Over the years I have successfully represented faculty as well as students in grievance procedures, holding fast to the principles of academic freedom, contract, and individual rights.
Statement of Purpose: I am seeking election to the office of Vice President because of my growing concern for faculty rights, fair and adequate compensation, and retirement issues. I am particularly concerned with faculty positions in the arts. I have witnessed the erosion of salaries for those of us who teach in the Arts -- these salaries do not even come close to comparable faculty in other disciplines. I would like to work towards achieving more equity in faculty salaries across the board

Treasurer

Name: Sheldon D. Pollack
Position at UD: Associate Professor, Department of Accounting, College of Business & Economics. Joint appointments in Department of Political Science & Legal Studies Program, College of Arts & Science.
Date of Joining AAUP: 1994.
AAUP Service: Positions held within the AAUP chapter include: AAUP Faculty Grievance Committee since 2000.
Statement of Purpose: Since leaving private law practice in 1994 to join the faculty of the University of Delaware, I have been a member of the AAUP and have served, as mentioned above, on the Faculty Grievance Committee since 2000. I also have been an active member of the Faculty Senate for the past two years, serving on the Faculty Committee on Rules and the Committee on General Education. In the College of Business & Economics, I have served on the Committee on Organization and the Curriculum Committee.

I am a candidate for the position of Treasurer of the UD Chapter of the AAUP because I wish to become even more involved in faculty governance. I believe that I have strong credentials for the position, having previously served as treasurer and director of a small non-profit organization, as well as legal adviser to two educational institutions (Temple University and Temple University Hospital). While I believe that my experience as a business lawyer could be useful to the Executive Council and Steering Committee, I am most interested in working to advance the traditional values of the AAUP: protecting academic freedom and due process on campus, and defending the tenure system for faculty. I am familiar with the AAUP's policy documents and reports and strongly support the organization's positions on these important issues.

In short, I am interested in serving as Treasurer of our chapter of the AAUP. It would be an honor and privilege to be selected by my colleagues here at the University of Delaware for this position.

Secretary

Name: Judy Van Name.
Position at UD: Associate Professor, Department of Consumer Studies.
Date of Joining AAUP: 1972.
AAUP Service: Positions held within the AAUP chapter include: Acting AAUP Secretary (Spring 2002); Member of the AAUP Bargaining Team and Steering Committee (1998-1999); Member of the AAUP Steering Committee 1990-1991); Member of the AAUP Steering Committee (1989-1990); Member of the AAUP Bargaining Team (Jan.-Sept. 1977).
Statement of Purpose: The central mission of the University of Delaware is to cultivate both learning and the free exchange of ideas. The purpose of the UD chapter of the AAUP is to promote harmonious relationships between the faculty and the administration of the University, to improve the quality of education and to maintain the high standards of excellence at the University of Delaware. This is accomplished through the collective bargaining agreement.

I have been a member of the AAUP since its inception at the U of D in 1972. I have served as a Department representative, a Steering Committee member and a member of two Faculty Bargaining Teams, in 1977 and in 1998-1999. The latter resulted in the first three-year contract. I am familiar with workload and equity issues. While AAUP membership includes a majority of our faculty, I would like to see the membership in AAUP increase. I would also like to see a better turnout at open meetings of the AAUP since they help to clarify the issues.

The AAUP through its Collective Bargaining Agreement provides definitive answers to questions faculty have about work related issues. During the past three decades the collective bargaining agreement has continued to be refined to clarify expectations of faculty and administrators. The very minimal number of grievances in recent years indicates that the collective bargaining agreement is working. I was pleased to be asked to be nominated as Secretary and to serve as a member of the Executive Council of the AAUP at the University of Delaware.

Additional UD governance experience pertinent to my candidacy for Secretary but not related to my AAUP membership includes the following positions: President of the Faculty Senate (1999-2001); Faculty Senate Executive Committee, Faculty Senator (1998-2000); Chair, Coordinating Committee on Education (1998-2000); Member of the Academic Priorities Review Committee (1999-2003); Chairperson, Department of Textiles, Design and Consumer Economics 1978-1982).