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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AAUP Executive Council Minutes
Monday, March 17, 2008
Room 302 McDowell Hall, 8:30 AM – 10:00 AM

PRESENT: Linda Bucher (presiding), Leon Campbell, Gerry Turkel, Danilo Yanich, David Smith, Steve Dentel, Pat Barber, Sheldon Pollack, and Kevin Kerrane (secretary).

The meeting began in Executive Session with reports from the Grievance Officer, David Smith, and the Contract Maintenance Officer, Leon Campbell.

After approval of minutes for the February 18 meeting, Sheldon Pollack summarized the Treasurer’s Report, which had been distributed to Council by e-mail. The report showed

a net gain of more than $26,000 for 2007. Sheldon pointed out that the chapter recently had been hurt by the sliding stock market (with a net loss of about $5,000 through the first two months of 2008), but still had $370,000 in cash on hand or cash equivalents.

As discussion turned to the collective bargaining process, Leon Campbell explained

a proposed change regarding our proposal # 5, dealing with the appointment or reappointment of department chairs. Leon suggested that the language of the Faculty Handbook (under Section 2: Academic Program Organization) could be strengthened by adding this note in parentheses: “Revised via AAUP contract negotiations, 03/2008.” In supporting this change, David Smith said the important point was not so much that the AAUP needed to know the faculty vote, but that the vote actually had to be taken and communicated to the dean, and from the dean to the provost, before the appointment could be made.

 

Referring to a chart of Mid-Atlantic comparator institutions, Gerry Turkel said that our immediate goal would be to catch up with Rutgers and the University of Maryland.

In addition, the AAUP team is proposing to increase the minimum salaries of Assistant Professors with a structural adjustment of $5,000 in the contract’s first year. Linda Bucher observed that structural adjustments would also be appropriate for Associate Professors, but David Smith stressed providing more help at the lower rank would have political advantages for us, especially in recruiting new members.

Kevin Kerrane said that administration’s positions on faculty salaries were likely to be based less on comparisons to other institutions than on the effects of cutbacks in state funding, and that we should prepare our responses accordingly.

Discussion focused on specific AAUP proposals for salary increases, especially in relation to numbers in the current contract.

Linda Bucher announced that the ballots on the change in chapter by-laws (limiting voting privileges on the contract to UD-AAUP members only) would be mailed after the General Membership meeting on 3/19 (3 PM in Rm. 208). She added that several faculty members had joined the chapter after the proposed change was announced. The Steering Committee will meet to discuss bargaining issues after this.

The next Executive Council meeting is scheduled for Monday, April 28, 9-11.

Respectfully submitted,
Kevin Kerrane