HB 48 Passes House, Now What?

Thank you to our members who took the time to send a message to their State Representative opposing House Bill 48. We had nearly 1,000 e-mails sent through our Action Network page by the end of House session today. 

Despite our efforts, and the efforts of many other groups opposed to this “guns everywhere” bill, the legislation passed the House by a vote of 63 to 25. Perhaps more disappointing than the vote itself was the process. This bill was rushed to a floor vote, and Speaker Rosenberger did not allow any debate, as he quickly moved to taking the vote after the sponsor summarized the legislation. 

Regardless, it is so important that those Representatives heard our opposition; and we still have time to take action to convince the Senate not to go down this road. 

At this time, we do not know how quickly the Senate might act on the bill, or how likely or unlikely it is to pass the Senate. What we do know is that State Senators need to start hearing our opposition to this legislation right away.

Click here to be taken to the Action Network page through which you can contact the State Senator that represents you.

We will continue to provide updates on this bill as further information becomes available. 

Finally, we understand that not each of the 6,000 faculty we represent will agree with every position we take. The positions taken reflect thorough discussion and go through a democratic process.

Nominations Sought for 2016 Board Elections

We are seeking nominations for the 2016 Ohio Conference elections. In accordance with our governing documents, you must have been a member for two years and current on your dues to be eligible for a Trustee position. Nominations should be sent to Executive Director Sara Kilpatrick at sara@ocaaup.org and must be received by December 20, 2015.

The positions to be elected are:

-President
-Secretary-At-Large Member – Private Institution

These are two-year terms that will commence September 1, 2016. Trustees are expected to attend four quarterly, Saturday meetings each year in Columbus (one of these is the Annual Meeting). 

The President serves as a delegate to the National AAUP Annual Meeting and the Assembly of State Conferences (ASC) Annual Meeting.

The Secretary serves as a delegate to the ASC Annual Meeting, as well.

These events take place in Washington, DC in June.

The 2016 elections will be held in conjunction with the National AAUP elections. 

Serving on the OCAAUP Board of Trustees is a rewarding way to engage in statewide AAUP issues and state government advocacy. Any questions can be directed to Sara Kilpatrick at sara@ocaaup.org.

Thank you to all members and staff who attended the 65th Ohio Conference AAUP Annual Meeting in Columbus. 

We had a great event. State Representatives Fred Strahorn, Denise Driehaus and Dan Ramos joined us at the Friday, November 6 evening reception, where our University of Cincinnati chapter presented campaign donations. Those legislators have been loyal allies and played a critical role in removing the anti-faculty language in the state budget bill. Friday events were rounded out with Hank Reichman’s thought-provoking speech “To Tweet or Not to Tweet? A Question of Academic Freedom,” which explored issues with faculty statements on social media.

The Saturday, November 7 luncheon was headlined by Aaron Calafato’s compelling monologue performance “For Profit,” which focused on his personal student debt struggles and his time working for a for-profit college. Calafato evoked both laughter and tears from the audience, as he humanized what we often only see outlined in statistics and generalizations.

During the business meeting portion of the event, the proposed change to the Conference’s Code of Regulations was passed unanimously. As a result of this change, each chapter and bargaining unit with 100 members or more will have a seat on the State Conference Board. Previously, the Code specified only “chapter” representation, which failed to recognize that some chapters have two distinct bargaining units.

In addition, four resolutions were passed by acclamation. See the text below. 

Resolution #1 – Opposition to House Bill 160

Whereas the Ohio Conference AAUP has concerns over textbook costs;

Whereas House Bill 160 does not address how we might be able to control those costs;

Whereas the royalties that faculty collect from authoring texts is typically a small percentage, usually averaging around ten percent;

Whereas the protection of academic freedom is the core mission of the AAUP, and faculty should exercise the freedom to teach without fear of retribution;

Whereas faculty who teach at our state institutions of higher education are experts in their fields; therefore, to provide students with the highest quality of instruction, faculty should maintain the right to select the most appropriate texts, including those they have authored, as required course materials;

Whereas enactment of HB 160 would likely install an extra level of bureaucracy at our state universities and perhaps at the Ohio Department of Higher Education, therefore confounding further the problem of administrative growth;

Whereas government enters very dangerous territory, one that borders on censorship, when it starts to regulate which books can and cannot be assigned at our institutions of higher education;

Be it resolved that the Ohio Conference AAUP strongly opposes House Bill 160 and any efforts to control the textbooks that faculty can require as course materials.  

Resolution #2 – Support for Wisconsin

Whereas members of the Ohio Conference AAUP harbor a grave concern that our colleagues in Wisconsin have lost tenure protections and collective bargaining rights;

Whereas the members of the Ohio Conference AAUP believe that for faculty to enjoy academic freedom, tenure and the right to collective bargaining are tantamount to the pursuit of this endeavor;

Whereas we contend that an uninhibited and fully functioning public education is the cornerstone to a thriving democracy;

Be it resolved that the Ohio Conference AAUP fully supports our colleagues in the great state of Wisconsin as they attempt to rebound from the changes which threaten their ability to provide sound, quality education.

Resolution #3 – Opposition to House Bill 48

Whereas the Ohio Conference AAUP has a commitment to the safety and welfare of its members and their students, and to the educational missions of its members’ institutions;

Whereas Ohio House Bill 48 would open the door for conceal/carry permit holders to carry their weapons onto public and private college campuses;

Whereas the National AAUP passed a resolution in 2008 which stated:

College and universities closely control firearms and prohibit conceals guns on their campuses because they regard the presence of weapons as incompatible with their educational missions. The Ninety-fourth Annual Meeting of the American Association of University Professors endorses the reliance of colleges and universities on trained and equipped professional law-enforcement personnel to respond to emergency incidents. We call upon state legislative bodies to refrain from interfering with decisions that are properly the responsibility of the academic community.

Be it resolved that the Ohio Conference AAUP opposes Ohio House Bill 48 and other efforts that would allow firearms to be carried onto college campuses. 

Resolution #4 – Full-Time Faculty to Administrator Ratio

Whereas an analysis of the effectiveness of institutions of higher learning indicated that the ideal ratio for full-time faculty to each administrator should be three to one;[i]

Whereas accrediting agencies recognize that having many more full-time faculty versus part-time faculty typically indicates a greater likelihood of high-quality instruction;

Whereas institutions of higher education should exercise caution in achieving balance between full-time and part-time faculty as to avoid the exploitation of either party while seeking to provide the highest quality of instruction;

Whereas guidance in achieving the aforementioned balance can be found by referencing an AAUP report on the “Status of Part-Time Faculty;”[ii]

Whereas part-time faculty are often hired to offset the cost of hiring more administrators;

Be it resolved that the Ohio Conference AAUP requests a close examination by the Ohio General Assembly of ratios of full-time faculty to administrators;

Be it further resolved that the Ohio Conference AAUP calls upon the U.S. Congress and the Ohio General Assembly to consider ratios of full-time faculty to both administrators and part-time faculty as critical factors for providing high-quality education.

---

[i] Martin, Robert E. and Hill, Carter, Baumol and Bowen Cost Effects in Research Universities (March 2014). Available at SSRN: http://ssrn.com/abstract=2153122.

[ii] AAUP Report: Status of Part-Time Faculty: http://www.aaup.org/report/status-part-time-faculty.

OCAAUP Board Endorses Issue 1

The Ohio Conference AAUP Board has joined Fair Districts for Ohio by endorsing State Issue 1, which will reform the process of drawing state legislative districts. 

Fair Districts for Ohio, co-chaired by former State Reps. Vernon Sykes (D-Akron) and Matt Huffman (R-Lima), is a bipartisan coalition that is pushing much-needed improvements to the reapportionment process so that districts are fairer and more competitive.

The current system of extreme gerrymandering has allowed lawmakers to choose their voters instead of voters being able to choose their lawmakers. If Issue 1 passes, it will encourage bipartisan legislative district map-making and help protect against gerrymandering.

The OCAAUP Board chose to endorse a Yes on Issue 1 because state government directly impacts Ohio faculty. If we have fair elections, we are more likely to have fair-minded and less ideologically-driven state representatives and senators. 

Here are some of the highlights of Issue 1:

Bipartisanship
– Creates a new seven-member bipartisan panel called the “Ohio

Redistricting Commission.”
– The commission must have at least two members from the minority party.
– Requires the commission to be co-chaired by two members, one chosen by each party.
– Requires at least two votes from each party in order to approve a plan, otherwise a temporary plan is put in place and the commission must reconvene to redraw it.

Transparency
– Requires all commission meetings be open to the public and broadcast by electronic means of transmission using a medium readily accessible by the general public.
– The commission must hold a minimum of three public hearings.
– Before voting on a district plan, the commission is required to present the proposal to the public and to seek public input.
– Requires the commission to submit a statement to the public explaining their process.

Fairness 
– Protects against gerrymandering by prohibiting any district from primarily favoring one political party.
– Requires districts to closely follow the statewide preferences of the voters.

Accountability
– Creates a process for the Ohio Supreme court to order the commission to redraw the map if the plan favors one political party.

Protects Communities 
– Keeps our communities together by requiring a district plan to split as few counties, municipal corporations, and townships as possible.
Issue 1 will not reform congressional redistricting (something the Republicans would not agree to), but the OCAAUP Board still believes that this is a big step in the right direction for state legislative elections. 

For more information and to read the official ballot language, visit the Fair Districts for Ohio website.

Annual Meeting Registration Deadline Monday

OCAAUP’s 65th Annual Meeting will be held November 6-7, 2015 at the Renaissance Columbus Downtown Hotel. Registration closes on Monday, October 26.

Hank Reichman, Chair of the AAUP’s Committee on Academic Freedom and Tenure, as well as Chair of the AAUP Foundation, will deliver a talk at the Friday evening dinner, “To Tweet or Not to Tweet: A Question of Academic Freedom,” which will explore the issue of academic freedom in electronic communications. 
In addition, performance artist and Ohio native Aaron Calafato will provide the Saturday luncheon entertainment with his monologue “For Profit,” which is an inside look at the for-profit  

educational industry, the $1 trillion student debt crisis, and a vibrant portrayal of the exploitation of the American student. 
Moreover, AAUP Senior Counsel Aaron Nisenson will address the pending U.S. Supreme Court case Friedrichs v. California Teachers Association, as well as recent rulings from the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) that impact organizing opportunities for private university faculty.

Two workshops will be offered Saturday afternoon – one that is more geared toward collective bargaining members; and another that will focus on building advocacy chapters. 

The full agenda can be found here. 

Our hotel room block at the discounted rate is completely full, but there still are rooms available at the Renaissance for regular price.
Registration is only $25. We hope to see you in November!

Notice of Proposed Change to Code of Regulations

During the business portion of the Annual Meeting, delegates will be asked to consider a change to OCAAUP’s Code of Regulations – what we call our constitution and by-laws. 

Under Article IV of the Code, it currently reads: “Each Ohio chapter current on its dues to the Ohio Conference with more than 100 members will be entitled to one voting representative to the Board.”
AAUP-KSU (Kent State University) has submitted an amendment that, if approved, would have that section read: “Each Ohio chapter or bargaining unit current on its dues to the Ohio Conference with more than 100 members will be entitled to one voting representative to the Board.”

AAUP-KSU has two distinct bargaining units for its Full-Time Tenure Track faculty and Full-Time Non-Tenure Track faculty, both of which have more than 100 members. While the bargaining units act in concert together in certain ways, they bargain separately, have separate executive committees, and sometimes have different interests. As such, they believe that this change to the Code better reflects that not every collective bargaining chapter has their FTTTs and FTNTTs folded into one unit and thus should be permitted separate representation on the OCAAUP Board.

*A note about voting rights at the Annual Meeting:

Per Article VI of the Code of Regulations: 

With the exception of elections, voting shall be by delegates of the AAUP chapters in the State of Ohio present at the Conference meeting Chapters with 7-150 members shall have one vote; Chapters with 151 to 300 members shall have two votes; and chapters with more than 300 members shall have three votes.

For purposes of representation, each AAUP member at an institution of higher education in Ohio at which there is no chartered AAUP chapter shall be entitled to be a member of a single statewide chapter, called the State Chapter. This State Chapter may nominate and elect officers, who shall in turn provide for the nomination and election of delegates to the Ohio Conference.

McNay Talks Administrative Bloat on Dayton-area TV

OCAAUP President John McNay appeared on “WHIO Reports,” a local news show in Dayton, to discuss the issue of administrative bloat at Ohio’s public colleges and universities. McNay was joined by conservative Ohio University economist Richard Vedder, as well as Dayton Daily News reporter Josh Sweigart and host Jim Otte.

McNay used the opportunity to discuss the proliferation of administrative positions, noting that there is one administrator for every 14 students, and the ratio of administrators to full-time faculty is about one-to-one.

Prof. Vedder said that the legislature is “abysmally ignorant” of what is going on at the universities and suggested that while no one wants the General Assembly to micromanage institutions, it has an oversight role.

Vedder went on to say that when administrators get more money, because they are in charge of how it is spent, they choose to spend it on themselves and hire more people that can assist them. McNay agreed and noted the findings of Benjamin Ginsberg in his book The Fall of the Faculty and the Rise of the All-Administrative University. 

McNay suggested that one way to contain runaway administrative bloat would be to have the legislature set a ratio of faculty to administrators, such as three faculty to each administrator. Vedder said the idea had merit, but said that administrators likely would figure out a way to game the system.

Josh Sweigart asked if faculty salaries were contributing to the rise in cost, but McNay noted that raises barely have kept up with inflation.
The show was followed up by a column in the Dayton Daily News about administrative bloat driving up costs and tuition.

House Bill Addresses “Mitigating Rate” for ARP

If you are in the State Teachers Retirement System’s (STRS) alternative retirement plan (ARP), part of the employer contribution to your pension is used to offset the negative impact that your choosing the ARP has on the defined benefit plan. It’s called the mitigating rate, and it helps to pay down the unfunded liability in the defined benefit plan.

Raising the mitigating rate from 3.5% to 4.5% was part of the pension reform package under SB 342 in 2012. Recently, the STRS Board attempted to raise the rate by an additional 1%, but the General Assembly imposed a moratorium on this action until the mitigating rate issue could be studied further.

In late August, Rep. Kirk Schuring (R-Canton), Vice Chair of the Ohio Retirement Study Council (ORSC), introduced House Bill 311, which attempts to make the mitigating rate more predictable. The bill proposes to set the mitigating rate at an actuarial determined value and reduce the mitigating rate percentage on a prorated basis each year over a 30-year period until it is eliminated and the employer contribution is fully restored. 

There has been concern expressed by some in the ARP that the initial percentage that would be set under this bill would be significantly higher than it is now, based on a report done by ORSC staff last year.

We have spoken to Rep. Schuring’s office, which has expressed that his goal is to reduce the mitigating rate, not increase it. But we cannot say for sure right now that this bill in practice will have that desired effect.

So far, the bill only has been introduced and referred to the Health and Aging Committee. We will be monitoring this closely and discussing it within the Healthcare and Pension Advocates of STRS coalition to which we belong. We will update you with information as it becomes available.

Reserve Your Spot for OCAAUP Annual Meeting

OCAAUP’s 65th Annual Meeting will be held November 6-7, 2015 at the Renaissance Columbus Downtown Hotel. 

Hank Reichman, Chair of the AAUP’s Committee on Academic Freedom and Tenure, as well as Chair of the AAUP Foundation, will deliver a talk at the Friday evening dinner, “To Tweet or Not to Tweet: A Question of Academic Freedom,” which will explore the issue of academic freedom in electronic communications. 

In addition, performance artist and Ohio native Aaron Calafato will provide the Saturday luncheon entertainment with his monologue “For Profit,” which is an inside look at the for-profit educational industry, the $1 trillion student debt crisis, and a vibrant portrayal of the exploitation of the American student. 

Moreover, AAUP Senior Counsel Aaron Nisenson will address the pending U.S. Supreme Court case Friedrichs v. California Teachers Association, as well as recent rulings from the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) that impact organizing opportunities for private university faculty.

Two workshops will be offered Saturday afternoon – one that is more geared toward collective bargaining members; and another that will focus on building advocacy chapters. More specifics on the workshops will be available soon.

You now can register for the 2015 OCAAUP Annual Meeting online via this event registration page. That page contains all of the preliminary details about the event, including start times for Friday and Saturday and information about reserving a hotel room for Friday. 

There are only a few rooms remaining in our block, and the hotel is completely booked otherwise. In order to get a room, and at the significantly discounted block room rate of $120, make your reservation as soon as possible. 

Registration is only $25. We hope to see you in November!

Notice of Proposed Change to Code of Regulations

During the business portion of the Annual Meeting, delegates will be asked to consider a change to OCAAUP’s Code of Regulations – what we call our constitution and by-laws. 

Under Article IV of the Code, it currently reads: “Each Ohio chapter current on its dues to the Ohio Conference with more than 100 members will be entitled to one voting representative to the Board.”
AAUP-KSU (Kent State University) has submitted an amendment that, if approved, would have that section read: “Each Ohio chapter or bargaining unit current on its dues to the Ohio Conference with more than 100 members will be entitled to one voting representative to the Board.”

AAUP-KSU has two distinct bargaining units for its Full-Time Tenure Track faculty and Full-Time Non-Tenure Track faculty, both of which have more than 100 members. While the bargaining units act in concert together in certain ways, they bargain separately, have separate executive committees, and sometimes have different interests. As such, they believe that this change to the Code better reflects that not every collective bargaining chapter has their FTTTs and FTNTTs folded into one unit and thus should be permitted separate representation on the OCAAUP Board.

*A note about voting rights at the Annual Meeting:

Per Article VI of the Code of Regulations: 

With the exception of elections, voting shall be by delegates of the AAUP chapters in the State of Ohio present at the Conference meeting Chapters with 7-150 members shall have one vote; Chapters with 151 to 300 members shall have two votes; and chapters with more than 300 members shall have three votes.

For purposes of representation, each AAUP member at an institution of higher education in Ohio at which there is no chartered AAUP chapter shall be entitled to be a member of  a single statewide chapter, called the State Chapter.

This State Chapter may nominate and elect officers, who shall in turn provide for the nomination and election of delegates to the Ohio Conference.

Reichman, Calafato Will Headline Annual Meeting

OCAAUP’s 65th Annual Meeting will be held November 6-7, 2015 at the Renaissance Columbus Downtown Hotel. 

Hank Reichman, Chair of the AAUP’s Committee on Academic Freedom and Tenure, as well as Chair of the AAUP Foundation, will deliver a talk at the Friday evening dinner, “To Tweet or Not to Tweet: A Question of Academic Freedom,” which will explore the issue of academic freedom in electronic communications. 

In addition, performance artist and Ohio native Aaron Calafato will provide the Saturday luncheon entertainment with his monologue “For Profit,” which is an inside look at the for-profit educational industry, the $1 trillion student debt crisis, and a vibrant portrayal of the exploitation of the American student. 

Moreover, AAUP Senior Counsel Aaron Nisenson will address the pending U.S. Supreme Court case Friedrichs v. California Teachers Association, as well as recent rulings from the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) that impact organizing opportunities for private university faculty.

Two workshops will be offered Saturday afternoon – one that is more geared toward collective bargaining members; and another that will focus on building advocacy chapters. More specifics on the workshops will be available soon.

You now can register for the 2015 OCAAUP Annual Meeting online via this event registration page. That page contains all of the preliminary details about the event, including start times for Friday and Saturday and information about reserving a hotel room for Friday. 

There are only a few rooms remaining in our block, and the hotel is completely booked otherwise. In order to get a room, and at the significantly discounted block room rate of $120, make your reservation as soon as possible. 

Registration is only $25. We hope to see you in November!

Proposed Change to Code of Regulations

During the business portion of the Annual Meeting, delegates will be asked to consider a change to OCAAUP’s Code of Regulations – what we call our constitution and by-laws. 

Under Article IV of the Code, it currently reads: “Each Ohio chapter current on its dues to the Ohio Conference with more than 100 members will be entitled to one voting representative to the Board.”
AAUP-KSU (Kent State University) has submitted an amendment that, if approved, would have that section read: “Each Ohio chapter or bargaining unit current on its dues to the Ohio Conference with more than 100 members will be entitled to one voting representative to the Board.”

AAUP-KSU has two distinct bargaining units for its Full-Time Tenure Track faculty and Full-Time Non-Tenure Track faculty, both of which have more than 100 members.

While the bargaining units act in concert together in certain ways, they bargain separately, have separate executive committees, and sometimes have different interests. As such, they believe that this change to the Code better reflects that not every collective bargaining chapter has their FTTTs and FTNTTs folded into one unit and thus should be permitted separate representation on the OCAAUP Board.

*A note about voting rights at the Annual Meeting:

Per Article VI of the Code of Regulations: 

With the exception of elections, voting shall be by delegates of the AAUP chapters in the State of Ohio present at the Conference meeting Chapters with 7-150 members shall have one vote; Chapters with 151 to 300 members shall have two votes; and chapters with more than 300 members shall have three votes.

For purposes of representation, each AAUP member at an institution of higher education in Ohio at which there is no chartered AAUP chapter shall be entitled to be a member of a single statewide chapter, called the State Chapter.

This State Chapter may nominate and elect officers, who shall in turn provide for the nomination and election of delegates to
the Ohio Conference.