AAUP Member Nina Turner Running for Ohio Secretary of State

If you feel like you know Nina Turner, it could be because she’s your State Senator, or because you’ve caught one of her many national media appearances, or because she has taught alongside of you at Cuyahoga Community College (Tri-C).

Yes, in addition to representing Ohio’s 25th Senate District, Sen. Turner, a Democrat, is a proud AAUP member at Tri-C, where she teaches history.

Like many with a passion to teach, Turner was inspired by one of her professors. She credits her mentor, Dr. Dorothy Salem, who taught her at both Tri-C and Cleveland State University, for encouraging her to earn a B.A. and M.A. and then pursue a teaching career.

After graduating from Cleveland State, Turner spent a year as a legislative aide in the Ohio Senate. She then returned home to Cleveland, where she worked at Tri-C as an adjunct professor while also serving in Mayor Michael R. White’s administration as his Executive Assistant for Legislative Affairs.

Since she experienced life as an adjunct firsthand, Turner is acutely aware of the challenges part-time faculty face. It was no surprise, then, when she introduced Senate Bill 65, which would grant adjuncts and graduate students collective bargaining rights under Ohio law.

Currently, state law says that these part-time teachers are not “employees,” and thus are exempt from the public employee collective bargaining law.

In 2001, after an unsuccessful bid for Cleveland City Council, Turner assumed a full-time teaching position at Tri-C and was placed on tenure track after a year. 

It wouldn’t be long before she would find her way back into public service while continuing to teach, first serving as Director of Government Affairs for the Cleveland Metropolitan School District, then being the first woman ever elected to represent Cleveland’s Ward 1 on City Council.

In 2008, Turner was appointed to fill the 25th Senate seat vacated by Lance Mason and served the remainder of his term. In 2010, she ran unopposed and was elected to her first full four-year term. 

During her nearly six-year tenure as a State Senator, Turner has earned a reputation for being a reasonable yet outspoken voice on many issues, but most notably on voting rights. Consequently, it was a natural fit for Turner to set her sights on becoming Ohio’s next Secretary of State. 

Turner says that she is running for Secretary of State because she believes Ohioans should have simple, convenient, and secure elections. She firmly believes that in addition to education, the ballot box is the other great equalizer in a democracy, and she has chastised Republican lawmakers for passing legislation that has restricted voting access.

In addition to being the chief election officer, the Secretary of State also provides business services. Turner believes that she can help transform the office from one that merely files paperwork into a resource center that helps empower business owners to be more successful.

For more information about Sen. Turner’s campaign, visit: http://www.ninaturner.org/. 

Turner will face incumbent Secretary of State Jon Husted (R) on the ballot this November.

Make a “Free” Contribution to Your Favorite State Candidate

Did you know that in Ohio you can receive a dollar for dollar tax credit up to $100 for a contribution made to a state candidate?
Pursuant to Ohio Revised Code 5747.29, a taxpayer filing as an individual can claim a tax credit of up to $50 for contributions made to state candidates, while taxpayers filing jointly can claim a credit up to $100.
It’s like giving away free money!
A state candidate is any candidate who is running for a statewide office (e.g. Governor, Secretary of State, Attorney General, Treasurer, Auditor), as well as anyone running for the Ohio General Assembly.

Over the past four years, we have seen an unprecedented attack on collective bargaining rights and voting rights, more reductions in higher education spending, and specific attacks on faculty working conditions. We cannot afford to sit out this election.

So in addition to making sure you’re registered to vote at your current address, please consider making contributions to candidates you support and know will support you in your profession and everyday life.

Save the Date for the 2015 OCAAUP Annual Meeting

The next Ohio Conference AAUP Annual Meeting will be held Friday, November 6 – Saturday, November 7, 2015 at the Renaissance Columbus Downtown. 

For many years, the Annual Meeting had been held on the second weekend of April, but due to conflicts with other professional meetings regularly scheduled around that time, as well as some internal considerations–such as the advantages of approving our annual budget before one-third of the year has already passed–the Conference Board of Trustees has decided to move the Annual Meeting to November.

Because we just held our Annual Meeting for 2014 in April and because it was impractical to try to schedule a meeting so close to November 2014, there will be an 18-month interval between the meetings.

We will send reminders on the change in dates in the late spring and early fall of 2015.

“Right-to-Work” Won’t Be on November Ballot

Supporters of a “right-to-work” constitutional amendment missed the July 2 deadline to submit the approximately 385,000 signatures from registered Ohio voters in order for the amendment to appear on this November’s ballot.
The Tea Party coalition that spearheaded the effort reportedly came under heavy pressure from the Republican Party to stop pursuing the amendment, at least for this year. Republicans feared that the amendment could lead to a heavier turnout of labor and Democrats, thus hurting their chances for reelection.

Gov. John Kasich and Republican legislative leadership have tried to dodge questions about pursuing “right-to-work,” saying it’s “not on the agenda.” The governors of Indiana and Michigan said similar things before the time was ripe to shove the anti-union policy through their legislatures.

It is possible, perhaps even probable, that the Republicans will pass “right-to-work” legislation after the elections, during lame duck session. If that happens, We Are Ohio will begin a campaign to exercise the citizens’ veto option just as we did with Senate Bill 5.

More information on “right-to-work” can be found here on our website: https://ocaaup.org/gov-relations/sb5.aspx.

Save the Date for the 2015 OCAAUP Annual Meeting

The next Ohio Conference AAUP Annual Meeting will be held Friday, November 6 – Saturday, November 7, 2015 at the Renaissance Columbus Downtown. 

For many years, the Annual Meeting had been hosted the second weekend of April, but due to many other meetings being held around that time, in addition to other considerations, the Conference Board of Trustees have decided to move it to November.

Please mark your calendars!

Make a “Free” Contribution to Your Favorite State Candidate

Did you know that in Ohio you can receive a dollar for dollar tax credit up to $100 for a contribution made to a state candidate?
Pursuant to Ohio Revised Code 5747.29, a taxpayer filing as an individual can claim a tax credit of up to $50 for contributions made to state candidates, while taxpayers filing jointly can claim a credit up to $100.
It’s like giving away free money!

A state candidate is any candidate who is running for a statewide office (e.g. Governor, Secretary of State, Attorney General, Treasurer, Auditor), as well as anyone running for the Ohio General Assembly.

Over the past four years, we have seen an unprecedented attack on collective bargaining rights and voting rights, more reductions in higher education spending, and specific attacks on faculty working conditions. We cannot afford to sit out this election.

So in addition to making sure you’re registered to vote at your current address, please consider making contributions to candidates you support and know will support you in your profession and everyday life.

No Mention of Workload in HB 484; HB 483 Could Impact Your 403(b) Plan

HB 484

House Bill 484, which contained the higher education components of the mid-biennium review (e.g. the state budget corrections legislation), has been passed by the General Assembly and sent to the Governor for his signature.

Thanks to our lobbying efforts, especially testimony given to legislative committees by OCAAUP President John McNay, the language in the original bill that called for a 10 percent increase in faculty workload was not included in the final version of the bill. 

The final bill mainly tweaks funding formula issues, but also creates a Higher Education Student Financial Aid Workgroup, which is to make a report to the Governor and General Assembly on financial assistance that is available to students.

The bill specifically invites a number of associations to have a representative as part of this workgroup, but unfortunately, leaves out having a faculty representative. However, the bill allows the Chancellor of the Board of Regents to appoint additional members to the committee, and we are working with the Ohio Faculty Council to push for a faculty representative.

HB 483

House Bill 483 was the main budgetary bill of the mid-biennium review. In addition to state funding issues, this omnibus piece of legislation contained numerous policy changes, including one that was pushed by the Inter-University Council (IUC), as well as large annuity providers like TIAA-CREF, to limit the number of 403(b) annuity vendors that a university has to work with and accept.

Specifically, the language states that a university has to a select a minimum of four (4) vendors, and its in the institution’s sole discretion to decide which vendors those are. The language is permissive, so universities may choose not to change anything about their annuity provider options.

However, some institutions obviously were pushing for this change so that they would only have to deal with four vendors.
The OCAAUP Board of Trustees took a position of opposition against this language because of the impact it could have on some of our members.

For instance, if a university chooses to limit itself to working with the requisite four vendors, it would force employees to start putting all future contributions into one of the approved vendor plans, if they’re not already with one of those vendors.  If an employee would want to move their money from their old account, they would be responsible for any negative financial impact this would have, like paying exit fees charged by their former vendor.

Despite our efforts as an association, as well as working with a coalition that included smaller 403(b) vendors, this language was included in the final bill.

Make a “Free” Contribution to Your Favorite State Candidate

Did you know that in Ohio you can receive a dollar for dollar tax credit up to $100 for a contribution made to a state candidate?
Pursuant to Ohio Revised Code 5747.29, a taxpayer filing as an individual can claim a tax credit of up to $50 for contributions made to state candidates, while taxpayers filing jointly can claim a credit up to $100.
It’s like giving away free money!
A state candidate is any candidate who is running for a statewide office (e.g. Governor, Secretary of State, Attorney General, Auditor), as well as anyone running for the Ohio General Assembly.

Over the past four years, we have seen an unprecedented attack on collective bargaining rights and voting rights, more reductions in higher education spending, and specific attacks on faculty working conditions. We cannot afford to sit out this election.

So in addition to making sure you’re registered to vote at your current address, please consider making contributions to candidates you support and know will support you in your profession and everyday life.

Be There and Spread the Word: May 13 Higher Education Rally at the Statehouse

On Tuesday, May 13, the Ohio Higher Education Coalition (OHEC), of which OCAAUP is a member, is hosting a rally on the West Plaza of the Ohio Statehouse in Columbus.  The event will begin at 11:00 a.m. sharp and last approximately an hour and a half. 

May 13 is a Senate session day, so we will garner the attention of legislators as well as media.  If you would like to meet with your legislator(s) while in the capital that day to make the trip particularly worthwhile, e-mail Executive Director Sara Kilpatrick at sara@ocaaup.org. 

OHEC was born from a meeting ahead of Campus Equity Week last fall attended by students, full-time faculty, and adjunct faculty groups.  We realized that while we each face different issues, they’re all being caused by the same root problems – disinvestment from the state and misplaced spending priorities at colleges and universities.  So we banded together to form OHEC to bring attention to these problems and call for solutions.

It’s extremely important that legislators see that we are paying attention to what they’re doing to higher education and that we’ve banded together to take a stand.  This will be a great opportunity to meet student activists, as well as leaders and members from other associations with whom we work.  Anyone is invited, so feel free to bring along friends, family, and students.

Click here for the Facebook event page.

National AAUP Summer Events: Annual Conference and Summer Institute

Annual Conference

The 2014 National AAUP Annual Conference will take place Wednesday, June 11 through Sunday, June 15 at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington, DC. 

Click here to be taken to the AAUP website for complete details about registration, hotel, and the program.

Thursday, June 12 of the Annual Conference is “Capitol Hill Day,” which Ohio members participate in each year. It is a great opportunity to meet with Representatives and Senators to discuss pressing national issues in higher education.

If you would like to participate in Capitol Hill Day, e-mail Sara Kilpatrick at sara@ocaaup.org. Sara will assist with scheduling legislator visits and provide additional logistical details. 

Summer Institute

This year’s CBC Summer Institute will be hosted at Hofstra University in Long Island, NY from Thursday, July 17 through Sunday, July 20.

The Summer Institute provides workshop training on a variety of subjects including contract negotiations, handbook policies, communications, lobbying, recruiting faculty leaders, coalition building, and much, much more.

In addition to the workshops, there are fun activities scheduled to get to know your colleagues, including a dinner cruise around Long Island, as well as a trip into Manhattan.

To view the workshops and full schedule, click here.

The Ohio Conference sponsors several scholarships to the Summer Institute every year, which cover the registration fee and travel.  If you are interested in receiving a scholarship, please e-mail Sara Kilpatrick at sara@ocaaup.org.

See you this summer!

Earlier today, Tuesday, March 25, Ohio Conference President John McNay delivered testimony to the House Higher Education Subcommittee.  We learned late last week that the subcommittee would hold only one hearing for testimony on HB 484 – the higher education components of the mid-biennium review (MBR).  

In his testimony, McNay, for the third time in a year, told legislators that state mandates for faculty workload don’t make sense and are solutions in search of a problem.  He criticized the Governor’s various workload proposals as distractions from honest discourse about the real problems in higher education today.  

“Instead of talking about increasing faculty workload by 10 percent, why aren’t we talking about increasing state funding by 10 percent or telling universities to increase administrative efficiencies by 10 percent and redirect those savings toward instruction?” McNay asked. “These are things that can be quantified and would address real problems.”    

Additionally, President McNay advocated for the Legislature to restore funding to the Ohio College Opportunity Grant (OCOG) – need-based financial aid, which was slashed by more than half in 2009.  

He said, “We need to be making it easier, not harder, for students to go to college. We cannot talk seriously about higher education’s role in the economic recovery when students are being saddled with so much debt that they have extremely limited purchasing power after
graduation.”

To read the full testimony, click here.

There were no questions from Republican committee members. 

Rep. Dan Ramos (D-Lorain) asked about the trend of universities failing to replace tenured faculty who retire, as well as the overuse of adjunct faculty. McNay discussed his personal experience at the University of Cincinnati, where adjuncts outnumber tenured and tenure-track faculty, and yet receive very limited institutional support.

“What the students don’t know is the person standing in front of the classroom is only making $1,500 a course, and yet they are spending thousands and thousands for their education,” McNay said in regard to adjunct compensation. “Universities are spending less than 30 percent of their budgets on employing faculty. Where is the rest of the money going?”

Additionally, Rep. Kathleen Clyde (D-Kent) voiced concerns over animosity developing between administrations and faculty if the workload language is passed as is. President McNay responded that it is hard to say what will happen at each campus, but that he wouldn’t want to see administrations hide behind an ambiguous state mandate to unilaterally impose new workload policies.  

To see the Legislative Service Commission’s analysis of HB 484, click here.

Again, we will keep you apprised of developments as this bill goes through the legislative process.

  Last Call for OCAAUP Annual Meeting!

The 2014 Ohio Conference AAUP Annual Meeting will be held in conjunction with the Collective Bargaining Congress (CBC) Midwest Regional Meeting, Friday, April 11 through Saturday, April 12 at the Renaissance Columbus Downtown Hotel.  

The Friday evening dinner will feature a presentation by One Ohio Now’s director Gavin DeVore Leonard on tax policy in Ohio and how it’s impacting higher education funding.  Professor Chad Hanson of Casper College in Wyoming will deliver the Saturday luncheon talk, entitled “Talking Higher Education: Metaphors That We Live By.” In addition, National AAUP Senior Legal Counsel Aaron Nissenson will provide an update on recent legal cases impacting academia.

There also will be a “Midwest Government Relations Round-Up” highlighting legislative activity in Midwestern states.Moreover, the Saturday afternoon workshops include:

1) For God’s Sake Shut Up: A Professor’s Guide to Working with the Media

2) Building Advocacy Chapters, General Best Practices, and Attracting and Engaging Faculty of Color 

3) Battling Right-to-Work: A Messaging Workshop

4) Building Effective Contract Campaigns

Below are details for meeting registration and hotel reservations:  An online registration has been set-up by National AAUP, which you can access by clicking here. Registration is only $25.

The hotel reservation deadline to receive the special, reduced rate has passed. However, you can still make a reservation at the Renaissance Columbus Downtown.