AAUP Steering Committee Minutes
November 30, 2011

1.   Status reports of Letters of Understanding committees. Progress of CBA/Faculty Handbook committee and Categories of Instruction committee presented. CBA/FH output is currently part of discussion in Faculty Senate.

2.   Benefits changes. Benefits changes will be significant this year. Negotiations are ongoing with insurance vendors, considerations of State self-insurance, and considerations of separating UD from State of DE plans. New laws will require coordination of benefits into retirement. UD-AAUP will assist in getting the word out.

3.   Involuntary Leave with Pay policy. Policy is being negotiated, influenced by recent cases in which removal of a faculty member from service was appealed to Faculty Welfare and Privileges committee, but no policy was in place under which Faculty W&P could judge the cases, nor any appeal procedure. Draft policy is currently under review by Faculty W&P and will be seen by the UD-AAUP executive council when it is available.

4.   Salary Disparity Study. Guaranteed to us by CBA, but this CBA had no deadline except the end of the contract. Promised to us, now for winter, but not yet received. Special salary adjustments cannot proceed until this is received.

5.   Section 14.2 of CBA has been interpreted by University lawyers as being applicable to tenured faculty (which is a strong concern to many on the faculty). This clause allows for removal of faculty for "financial considerations short of University-wide emergency…."

6.   General discussion among attendees, especially regarding need to increase faculty membership in general and among CNTTs.

Respectfully submitted,
Brian Hanson
Secretary