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The University of Delaware has reached a tentative accord with the American Association of University Professors (AAUP), the union that represents UD faculty, to extend the faculty collective bargaining contract for three years—from July 1, 2002, through June 30, 2005. A letter detailing the contract was distributed today to all faculty from Vice President for Administration Maxine Colm.
Faculty will vote March 20 on the contract. For the first time, the vote will be by mail.
Colm said the proposed agreement will “help assure that we attract and retain faculty of excellence and also enable the University to continue its competitive position in faculty compensation.”
The total compensation to faculty (salary and benefits) has consistently met or exceeded the median for doctoral one universities in the mid-Atlantic region, she said, in keeping with a commitment from President David Roselle. In the past three years, Colm said, the average total compensation by rank at UD has been well above the median among its comparator institutions.
The proposed contract calls for salary increases of 3 percent in 2002-3, 3.5 percent in 2003-4 and 3.75 percent in 2004-4. This increase includes across-the-board increases of 2 percent in all ranks each year and merit increase pools of 1 percent the first year, 1.5 percent the second year and 1.75 percent the third year.
Other salary components of the agreement include continuation of adjusted salary differentials for 11-month faculty and adjustments to the base salaries for assistant and associate professors in the first and second years.
The agreement also calls for overload compensation increases each year, consistent with agreed upon across-the-board and merit increases, as well as a similar increase in flat rates for teaching credit courses through the Division of Professional and Continuing Studies. Payment for FOCUS/distance learning offerings will increase in each year of the contract, with variable percentage increases among the academic rank in each contract year.
In the area of research and scholarship, the agreement calls for tenure-track assistant professors to be eligible for a fully paid research/scholarship semester to assist with their professional development and progress toward promotion and tenure. Available during the third or fifth year of probationary service, pending review and approval of proposals, this research semester will count as part of the six-year probationary period for purposes of promotion and tenure and will count as a sabbatical leave for purposes of future sabbatical eligibility.
In terms of benefits, the proposed agreement outlines a one-time retirement incentive program for faculty who sign an intent to retire agreement by June 30, 2003, with a retirement date by June 30, 2005. In this program, the University will contribute 11 percent of the final base salary to the participating faculty member’s TIAA/Cref or Fidelity retirement account for an additional two years after the effective date of retirement.
Other benefits in the agreement include:
• an option to buy long-term care insurance for faculty and spouses, with costs to be paid by the faculty member (this benefit would be extended to all full-time employees);
• a $500 increase in the maximum amount allowed for annual health-care contributions to flexible spending accounts to $2,000 (this benefit would be extended to all full-time employees);
• department chairs and faculty members required to develop workload options that meet departmental and individual needs immediately after the birth of a child (including either partial or full relief from teaching during the semester or immediately after the birth of a child);
• a $2,000 increase to $7,000 in the death benefit provided each faculty member on retirement (this benefit would be extended to all full-time employees); and
• extension of the University’s Wellness Program to retired faculty, effective July 1, 2002 (this benefit wold be extended to all full-time employees).
Several points in the proposed agreement relate to contract modifications and understandings:
• All academic departments must review workload policies, beginning July 1, 2002, in terms of academic program needs, such as course requirements, teaching availability of full-time faculty and non-instructional responsibilities.
• A 100 percent workload for a semester is defined as 12 credit contact hours or 18 teaching contact hours per week, and any other workload configuration will be prorated accordingly.
• Each department chairperson will be required to develop, in consultation with the faculty, written criteria and a well-defined metric for the evaluation of a faculty member’s activities. These must be submitted to the college dean by Dec. 31, 2002. Any unit without an approved document in place by March 1, 2003, will not be approved for merit increases.
• All academic departments must develop and ratify bylaws and submit them for approval by the chair, dean and provost by June 3, 2003.
• UD’s grievance procedure will stipulate that faculty should secure the advice of the AAUP contract maintenance officer before filing a grievance.
Members of the administration’s collective bargaining team, led by Colm, include Carolyn A. Thoroughgood, dean of the College of Marine Studies; William J. Idsardi, acting chairperson off the Department of Linguistics; and Thomas LaPenta, assistant vice president for labor relations. Representing the faculty are David L. Colton, Unidel Professor of Mathematical Sciences; L. Leon Campbell, Hugh M. Morris Research Professor of Molecular Biosciences; Linda Bucher, associate professor of nursing; and James R. Thornton, associate professor of economics.
For a complete text of Colm’s letter to faculty, click here.
March 8, 2002
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