Ohio Higher Education Coalition Holds Press Conference on Student Debt

On Tuesday, March 4, the Ohio Higher Education Coalition (OHEC) held its first press conference announcing the formation of the coalition, highlighting student debt stories, and calling for restoration of the Ohio College Opportunity Grant (OCOG), which gives need-based aid to lower income students.

OHEC is a statewide organization representing faculty,
staff, students, parents, and the community at large. Our goal is to organize the voices of those who are demanding affordable and accessible higher education in high quality colleges and universities that treat those they employ with dignity and fairness.

Founded by a diverse coalition of leaders and activists interested in advancing fairer higher education policy in Ohio, including OCAAUP, OHEC addresses three major issues that threaten the quality and sustainability of higher education in Ohio: massive student debt, decreasing state support for higher education, and exploitation of campus labor.  These three issues are closely interconnected; decades of defunding public institutions of higher learning has resulted in universities both shifting the costs onto students and exploiting the labor of faculty with part-time teaching contracts that do not provide benefits or a living wage.  

At Tuesday’s press conference, current college students shared personal stories of their struggles to afford college; and because of changes and reductions in OCOG, they are receiving even less state assistance than they were previously.  Additionally, OCAAUP President John McNay spoke at the event, highlighting how little money at Ohio’s public institutions of higher education is actually spent on instruction. McNay said, “Students should be asking where their tuition dollars are going.”   

Overall, the press conference was a successful event that earned media coverage, including a segment on Columbus’ local NBC affiliate and an article in the Cleveland Plain Dealer.

Speakers and Workshops Announced 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 provocative 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) Through the (One Way) Looking Glass: Focus Groups, Polling, and the AAUP Message

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

3) Battling “Right-to-Work”: The Facts and Messaging  

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.A block of guest rooms has been reserved for that Friday and Saturday night at a special rate of $115/night. Reservations must be made by Friday, March 14 in order to receive the reduced rate. While you may still be able to reserve a room after March 14, it will be at the regular hotel rate, which is significantly higher.

To make your hotel reservation online, click here.You can also reserve your room by calling toll-free at (877) 901-6632 or locally at (614) 228-5050. You must mention that you are with the “Ohio Conference AAUP Annual Meeting” to receive the special rate.

Information on 2014 OCAAUP Elections

The OCAAUP nominating committee is pleased to announce the following candidates for the 2014 elections to the Board of Trustees:  President: John T. McNay (University of Cincinnati-Blue Ash)

Vice President: Martin Kich (Wright State University-Lake Campus)

Secretary: Ryan Shadle (Cincinnati State Technical and Community College)

Treasurer: Heather Howley (University of Akron-Wayne College)

At-Large Member – Private Institutions: Juan Santamarina (University of Dayton)

At-Large Member – Public or Private: Anita Waters (Denison University) 

Despite the fact that there are no contested positions, there will be an electronic ballot mailed to each member in good standing to vote in these elections. A third party, independent vendor called BallotBox Online will be conducting the elections.  The voting window will be March 1 through March 15. You will receive an e-mail from BallotBox with a personalized link to log-in.

Chapters with 100 members or more will be electing their own Conference Trustee at the chapter level. These chapters include: Akron, Bowling Green, Central State, Cincinnati, Cincinnati State, Cleveland State, Cuyahoga Community College, Kent State, Ohio State, Toledo, and Wright State.  

The first meeting of the newly-elected Board will be at the Annual Meeting, April 11-12 in Columbus. See below for more details about the Annual Meeting.

Plan to Attend the OCAAUP Annual Meeting – CBC Midwest Regional 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.  

As in years previous, the Annual Meeting will begin with a reception and dinner on Fridayevening, and we will have a short business meeting on Saturday morning. Following the Conference’s business meeting, the CBC portion of the weekend will begin, which will include a short business meeting followed by a series of workshops.

There will be workshops of benefit to both collective bargaining and advocacy members.  

Please note that during the business portion of the Conference meeting, there will be a vote to dissolve the Conference’s 501(c)(3) tax entity. As we have reported in previous communications, the Conference initiated a new 501(c)(6) entity so that we are not limited in the advocacy work we engage in on behalf of our members.  An online registration has been set-up by National AAUP, which you can access by clicking here. Registration is only $25.  

A block of guest rooms has been reserved for that Friday and Saturday night at a special rate of $115/night. Reservations must be made by Friday, March 14 in order to receive the reduced rate. While you may still be able to reserve a room after March 14, it will be at the regular hotel rate, which is significantly higher.

To make your hotel reservation online, click here. 

You can also reserve your room by calling toll-free at (877) 901-6632 or locally at (614) 228-5050. You must mention that you are with the “Ohio Conference AAUP Annual Meeting” to receive the special rate.  For additional details, including a preliminary agenda and scheduled speakers, visit our events page.

Rosenberger Releases Report from Higher Education Study Committee

As we reported to you in September, the Ohio House of Representatives had formed a “Higher Education Reform Study Committee” that traveled around the state seeking input on various aspects of higher education in Ohio.   

OCAAUP President John McNay testified at one of the hearings, setting the record straight about faculty workload and administrative bloat.     

Earlier this week, the Chair of the Committee, Rep. Cliff Rosenberger (R-Clarksville), held a press conference at which he unveiled a 59-page report that outlined findings and recommendations of the committee (although 21 pages of the report is summary of testimony given at the hearings).  Among other things, the report emphasizes reductions in remediation, the benefits of dual enrollment, more closely tying in workforce development, and addressing student debt and financial literacy.   Additionally, the report recommends “establish[ing] higher education benchmarks for operational efficiency,” as well as financially rewarding institutions that reduce expenditures.  

We can briefly rejoice that there was no mention of state mandates for faculty workload; although we will closely monitor how the legislature and universities might interpret the best ways for universities to cut down on spending.

Plain Dealer Publishes McNay’s Piece about Workplace Democracy

We wanted to share with you that OCAAUP President John McNay had an editorial published online by the Cleveland Plain Dealer that helped to dispel many of the misconceptions about unions, as well as the faulty promises of “right-to-work” laws.   

You can access the piece by clicking here.  

Perhaps purely by coincidence, 10 days after publishing McNay’s article, the Plain Dealereditorial board came out with its own anti-“right-to-work” editorial, saying that “right-to-work would be an unnecessary and divisive fight in Ohio.”

Plan to Attend the OCAAUP Annual Meeting – CBC Midwest Regional Meeting!

We are pleased to announce that 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.  

As in years previous, the Annual Meeting will begin with a reception and dinner on Fridayevening, and we will have a short business meeting on Saturday morning. Following the Conference’s business meeting, the CBC portion of the weekend will begin, which will include a short business meeting followed by a series of workshops. There will be workshops of benefit to both collective bargaining and advocacy members.  

Please note that during the business portion of the Conference meeting, there will be a vote to dissolve the Conference’s 501(c)(3) tax entity. As we have reported in previous communications, the Conference initiated a new 501(c)(6) entity so that we are not limited in the advocacy work we engage in on behalf of our members.  An online registration has been set-up by National AAUP, which you can access by clicking here. Registration is only $25.  A block of guest rooms has been reserved for that Friday and Saturday night at a special rate of $115/night. Reservations must be made by Friday, March 14 in order to receive the reduced rate. While you may still be able to reserve a room after March 14, it will be at the regular hotel rate, which is significantly higher.

To make your hotel reservation online, click here. 
You can also reserve your room by calling toll-free at (877) 901-6632 or locally at (614) 228-5050. 

You must mention that you are with the “Ohio Conference AAUP Annual Meeting” to receive the special rate.  For additional details, including a preliminary agenda and scheduled speakers, visit our events page.

We are pleased to announce that 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.  

As in years previous, the Annual Meeting will begin with a reception and dinner on Fridayevening, and we will have a short business meeting on Saturday morning. Following the Conference’s business meeting, the CBC portion of the weekend will begin, which will include a short business meeting followed by a series of workshops. There will be workshops of benefit to both collective bargaining and advocacy members.  

Please note that during the business portion of the Conference meeting, there will be a vote to dissolve the Conference’s 501(c)(3) tax entity. As we have reported in previous communications, the Conference initiated a new 501(c)(6) entity so that we are not limited in the advocacy work we engage in on behalf of our members.  An online registration has been set-up by National AAUP, which you can access by clicking here. Registration is only $25.  A block of guest rooms has been reserved for that Friday and Saturday night at a special rate of $115/night. Reservations must be made by Friday, March 14 in order to receive the reduced rate. While you may still be able to reserve a room after March 14, it will be at the regular hotel rate, which is significantly higher.

To make your hotel reservation online, click here. 
You can also reserve your room by calling toll-free at (877) 901-6632 or locally at (614) 228-5050. You must mention that you are with the “Ohio Conference AAUP Annual Meeting” to receive the special rate.  For additional details, including a preliminary agenda and scheduled speakers, visit our events page.

To our members in the Ohio Conference AAUP:  We are now seeking nominations for the 2014 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 January 30, 2014.  

As you may recall from previous communications, OCAAUP has been undergoing a change in tax status from a 501(c)(3) organization to a 501(c)(6) organization, so that we can engage in public and government advocacy efforts without the limitations imposed by 501(c)(3) rules.  As a result, our 2014 elections will usher in an entirely new Executive Board of Trustees for our 501(c)(6) entity. In order to keep terms staggered, though, some Trustees will serve full two-year terms, while others will serve just one year. All future elections will be for full two-years terms.

Below is the list of positions that will be elected directly through the Conference elections next year: 

–President(two-year term)

–Vice President(one-year term)

–Secretary(two-year term)
–Treasurer(one-year term)

–At-Large Member – Private Institutions(two-year term)

–At-Large Member – Public or Private(one-year term; nominees may be members of chapters at private institutions or of chapters at public institutions with fewer than 100 members)  

Chapters with 100 members or more will be electing their own Conference Trustee at the chapter level. These chapters include: Akron, Bowling Green, Central State, Cincinnati, Cincinnati State, Cleveland State, Cuyahoga Community College, Kent State, Toledo, and Wright State.  

Another big change with the 2014 Conference elections is that they will no longer be run with National AAUP’s ballot. We will conduct elections via an electronic ballot that will be handled by a third party vendor.  Serving on the OCAAUP Board of Trustees is a rewarding way to engage in statewide AAUP issues and state government advocacy.

If you have any questions, contact Sara Kilpatrick at sara@ocaaup.org.