APRIL 10, 2021
MOAAUP SPRING BUSINESS MEETING AND TOWN HALL
Despite everything that is going on in the world, it has been a good year for MOAAUP. We are seeing new chapters forming, dormant chapters coming back to life, and an increase in overall membership. These are good signs for AAUP, but are also signs of the challenges we all face in the current academic landscape. This year, we will share our experiences with these challenge, including but not limited to, Academic Review, Academic Re-Organization, including department and program closure or cuts, changes to faculty contracts, and Inclusion and Diversity at our campuses.
Please join us via Zoom on Saturday, April 10 for our annual business meeting, followed in the afternoon by a town hall in which we share major issues related to shared governance, academic freedom, and tenure in a more informal fashion.
The business meeting will be quite short, with our main focus being election of officers and the Executive Board. All of the current officers have expressed interest in being re-elected, but, of course, we will also additional nominations.
Zoom Information for April 10 meeting:
Kathryn E Kuhn is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
Topic: MOAAUP ANNUAL MEETING
Time: Apr 10, 2021 10:30 AM Central Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting
https://slu.zoom.us/j/93027559406?pwd=UUFQdFlMODNUb2lLMFhBaEpLalFzZz09
Meeting ID: 930 2755 9406
Password: 922201
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AGENDA
10:30-11;30 Business Meeting
President’s Remarks
Elections
11:30-12:30 Happy Lunch on your own
12:30-? Town Hall
Issues around the campuses
UPDATE: PLEASE READ
Due to the COVID-19 situation, We will NOT hold the in-person conference this Spring. We are currently exploring ways of holding the meeting using online platforms. Please stay tuned
MOAAUP Spring Conference
Saint Louis, April 18, 2020:
Understanding Budgets in Higher Education
Featured Speaker:
Rudy Fichtenbaum, President of the National AAUP
The meeting will be in Saint Louis, on the medical campus at Saint Louis University. Look for the Learning Resources Center (LRC) PITLYK AUDITORIUM A. We will have a table set up in the lobby of the building.
The Learning Resource Center is located on the South Campus at SLU, about a mile south of the north campus. The address of the building is 3544 Caroline Mall. You can find an interactive map of the campus here. Parking is available at the Hickory East Garage. There is a fee for parking, but it is not horribly outrageous. A map of the parking areas can be found here. There is some street parking available as well, some of which is metered, and some which is free, although difficult to find.
Schedule
8:00-9:00 Coffee and Light Refreshments
9:00-11:00 Business Meeting
11:00-12:30 Lunch
12:30 – ? Rudy Fichtenbaum followed by Q & A
For those who might want to study up on the topic, there is a recent book on the topic published by Johns Hopkins University Press. To find information please click here
AAUP has its own brief guide to the topic. To access it please click here
2019
The Spring, 20019 meeting was held on February 23 at Drury University in Springfield. This year’s main topic was the future of state conferences and the (possible) reorganization of the National AAUP.
In addition, we held elections for Officers and Executive Board Members at Large. Results:
President: Kathry E Kuhn, Saint Louis University
Vice President: Jason McCollom, Missouri State University West Plains
Secretary-Treasurer: K Scott Baker, University of Missouri Kansas City
Member at Large: Elizabeth Newton, Fontbonne University
2018
The MOAAUP annual Spring meeting was held at the University of Missouri – Kansas City on April 28, 2018.
Our guest speaker was Monica Owens, a political organizer who works at the National AAUP in the Department of Organizing and Services. We look forward to her insights on chapter development, coalition building, and organizing campaigns.
Minutes from the April 28th Meeting
MOAAUP annual spring meeting minutes
Attending: Scott Baker (UMKC), Roger Pick (UMKC), David Robinson (Truman), Greg Comer (SLU), Beth Newton (Fontbonne), Janett Naylor Tincknell (Fort Hays State), Andy Tincknell (Fort Hays State), Mohamed El-Hodiri (KU), John Harms (MSU), Jonathan Claz (KU), Jon Taylor (UCM), Marc Becker (Truman), Ron Barrett (KU), William Fridley (SE OK State), Carolyn Fridley (SE OK State), Karl Frinkle (SE OK State), Stephanie Chamberlain (SEMO), Hali Fieldman (UMKC), Elizabeth Paddock (Drury), Glenn Young (Rockhurst), Rob Catlett (Emporia State), James Sterbenz (KU), Brigitte Roussel (Wichita State), Doris Chang (Wichita State)
Minutes approved, one abstention
Treasurer’s report (Scott): one person funded for national conference (2 went), redevelopment of website; thanks to David and Jason for writing the successful ASC grant, want to use money for, among other things, a fall workshop with speakers, incl. Rudy Fichtenbaum and Howard Bunsis, roughly planned for October; report approved
Committee A report (David): 16/17 a busy cycle in MO because of tenure irregularities, 17/18 much quieter, even despite two cases of removal of tenure (UM, UMKC), both of which were monitored by AAUP; conference development grant being used for expenses for OK and KS guests at this annual meeting, visit by Committee A officers to UCM (although expenses were paid by UCM faculty senate)
Election of delegates to National: nomination for Jason McCollum (thanks to Greg for getting stipend for him), Kathryn Kuhn (member of national council so will be funded); suggested alternates—Marc Rice (Truman) and/or Nicole Monnier (UM) and/or Jon Taylor (); slate approved
Summer Institute support (first time attendees can get funding): perhaps Joah? Deanna Rice (Fontbonne); otherwise Greg and Kathryn are empowered to find a member; Conf has funding to support one person even without first-timer funding
Amendment to add Committee A Chair to be member of the Executive Council:
[add proposal from agenda here]
Adding the Chair to the Executive allows the members of the Exec to be more closely informed about Committee A business, supports the Chair in his/her difficult work; this officer would be the only non-elected member of the Exec; could be made a non-voting member by adding “non-voting” to the title and in the second line
Amendment approved unanimously
Gruber Award: named after the activist president of the MO Conf, given to a member who has provided superlative work for the Conference, given this year to Keith Hardeman (Westminster)
Certificates of Appreciation for extraordinary activity for the Conference as an Officer: Nicole Monnier (MU), Keith Hardeman (Westminster) and John Harms (Missouri State)
Reports
MSU-WP report from Jason
SLU all fine
CMSU—reorganization (3 instead of 4 colleges) and elimination of units by administrative fiat, faculty senate voting against these changes, currently function under interim Dean and voting taking place for chairs of new institutional units, directors of subordinated units under chairs will be without faculty input, decided by the chairs themselves
Interim dean did not discuss any of the transformations with faculty until History dept organized petition movement which was then reported on in the Chronicle; visit by MO AAUP officers recognized inappropriateness of new “business” model that aimed for “practical” rather than liberal arts model of university; board members have been maintained beyond appointed term, perhaps outside of legal requirements; reorganization of departments made entirely without faculty input and no approval process for the affected depts.
Truman—salary a big issue, admin paid at national avg and faculty is second-lowest in salary among public MO universities; administrators drafting an intellectual property which seems apparently harmless but does shift some rights to university and away from individs
MSU—enrollments keep climbing, seem in good shape; after $3 mill plus in 16-17, revenue a little less this year (fewer international students), but still up; still too many interim administrators (deans) making decisions without faculty input; faculty senate healthy and effective
SEMO—student enrollment up but still short $3.4 million so facing reorganization (7 schools down to 5), admin has been giving PP demonstrations to discrete groups (but not faculty senates), have feedback sessions from which suggestions are cherry-picked; currently lots of movement in admin, the current president is stepping down (pretty clearly under duress); reorganization eliminates about 20 paid positions (from summer stipends to a dean), plans to eliminate ~20 more, have said that faculty cuts may happen; 74 faculty and staff have taken early retirement; president has taken 6% pay raise on recc of outside consultants
Drury—new president since 2 years, very recent developments: raises; two consulting firms, pressured voting to make changes and , faculty resentment against president is building/bubbling
Fontbonne—new administration in the last 5 years, chapter having better relations with them than some of their colleagues, revamping faculty handbook, rewriting protections for faculty regarding dismissals outside framework of financial exigencies (where depts just get too small), admin has approached AAUP chapter regarding diversity and retention of underrepresented populations
Rockhurst—in ’15 AAUP requested salary data, esp of admin, and published them, igniting discussion and increasing visibility of AAUP; legalistic changes to contracts made some faculty nervous, admin recognized AAUP chapter as spokesperson group for the issue; attempt to get admin on P&T committee immediately challenged by faculty before chapter even needed to be involved (although also wrote letter in opposition to allowing admin on P&T); in last year and a half chapter increased by 30%, mostly because of high profile statements and 1 on 1 recruiting
OK—chapter development on regional level through telling the story of crises and AAUP’s role in responding to these crises; 5 presidents in 7 years, but current good Pres has been there for 4 years, solicits AAUP opinion on policies; reduction of administration, rejuvenation of faculty senate under AAUP leadership; now AAUP attends meetings of state regents to indicate that attentiveness has not slackened; AAUP yearly membership meetings have profiled so well that even some administrators are seeking AAUP guidance for updating policies and governance; spreading the interface beyond state to regional level can allow for shared strategies against common problems; cooperation with admin helps both sides achieve
UMKC—reorganization supposed to save money but savings haven’t been articulated, although governance has been created and followed; cuts happening across campus are still “fictional” until state actually provides budget, remains an “exercise”; cuts are in response to deficits of reserves more than any impending state cuts; advice from rpk to reduce adjuncts and number of sections, pushing full-time faculty to teach more and larger classes