AAUP Executive Council Minutes
September 15, 2008
Room 302 McDowell Hall, 1:30-3:30 PM

PRESENT: Linda Bucher (presiding), Leon Campbell, Gerald Turkel, Danilo Yanich, David Smith, Pat Barber, Calvin Keeler, and Kevin Kerrane (secretary)

The meeting began with a welcome to our new member, Calvin Keeler, who is replacing Steve Dentel. His term expires December 31, but he is eligible for election to a new term.

Council then met in Executive Session for with reports from the Grievance Officer, D. Smith, and the Contract Maintenance Office, L. Campbell.

Following approval of the minutes from the May 19 meeting, L. Bucher raised the issue of mold in McDowell Hall, which should be covered by Article 18 (“Safety and Health”) of the CBA. Facilities Management has a priority list of buildings to be checked and D. Smith suggested that we issue a request—through Maxine Colm—to see the list and to gain information about how priorities are assigned.

Minutes of the last meeting, May 19, were approved without correction.

 Regular Meeting:

Office Update: Rita Girardi’s 4% increase became effective September 1, 2008. Council unanimously and wholeheartedly expressed thanks to Steve Dentel for his exemplary service to our chapter. L. Bucher will send official thank you and small gift.

Treasurer’s Report: Sheldon Pollack, our Treasurer, could not attend the meeting, but sent assurances that chapter finances were in good shape despite downturns in the stock market.

The AAUP Voice: G. Turkel said that the September Voice, to be published later in the week, would explain the voting process for our fall elections. The October issue will include biographical paragraphs about each of the candidates—as well as data relating faculty benefits at UD to those at comparator institutions.

 Old Business:

CBA Vote: L. Bucher announced final numbers on the spring vote for a new contract—247 faculty in favor and 16 opposed. The contract was approved by 94% of those casting valid ballots.

Chapter history: In the course of his research, Steve Finner visited campus during the summer, but there has been no recent word from him.

Recruitment activities: L. Bucher discussed plans to meet with new faculty members in October, and to conduct a survey of non-members during the year to examine reasons why they have not joined AAUP. She is also considering meetings with individual departments in the spring.

K. Kerrane suggested that departmental representatives take the lead in a membership drive, but he noted the problem of out-of-date information on our lists of members and non-members. D. Smith agreed, noting that the unreliability of these lists makes AAUP representatives reluctant to knock on their colleagues’ doors. G. Turkel proposed targeting specific departments, perhaps starting with Political Science.

New Business:

The Salary Equity Review Committee, which includes Council members L. Campbell and D. Smith, met on July 10. The minutes of that session (distributed to Council) stated that two lists would be generated based on different cutoffs, 6% and 8%, and that Council would have a chance to make a recommendation on these numbers before any information was forwarded to deans as they began deliberations about for equity adjustments.

The joint Administration/AAUP committee on Merit Pay—which includes Council members L. Bucher, S. Pollack, and D. Smith—is scheduled to meet on September 29. D. Smith reminded Council that the committee’s purpose is to make sure that the awarding of merit conforms to the CBA. Because the administration has pushed (and will continue to) for a greater percentage of faculty raises to be based on merit, it is all the more important to insist on a process that is clear and consistent.

L. Bucher suggested that the next AAUP faculty survey should include a specific question about the percentage of raises to be allocated on the basis of merit. D. Smith observed that, in the next round of bargaining, the AAUP could propose a change in the language of Article 12.3 in regard to each department’s ratification of the metric for merit. L. Bucher called attention to an email from Pam Cook regarding President Harker’sDiversity Task Force, with three questions meant to generate an agenda for a meeting. We agreed to respond by proposing Monday afternoon (possibly on October 6) as a convenient meeting time.

Fall elections: L. Bucher and G. Turkel are not eligible for an elected position; K. Kerrane indicated that he is not available for continued AAUP service in an elected position. D. Yanich and S. Pollack remained unsure of their plans, but promised to let other members know as soon as possible. P. Barber agreed to be put forward as a candidate for secretary (replacing K. Kerrane). L. Bucher stated that three faculty indicated interest in a position of the council. She spoke to Joan DelFattore (English) over the summer regarding her interest in running for president. John Morgan (Physics) and Peter Cole (Linguistics) expressed an interest in serving in any way the council deems appropriate.

National AAUP: There was no news from the National AAUP.

Next Meeting: The meeting adjourned with a reminder that the next Council session will be held on Monday, October 20, at 1:00 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,
Kevin Kerrane, Secretary