OU Board of Trustees approves new three-year faculty contract

At their October 11 Oakland University Board of Trustees meeting, the trustees voted to approve a new three-year faculty contract that had also recently been ratified by the OU Chapter of the American Association of University Professors. The new agreement runs through August 14, 2024.

The now approved tentative agreement was struck at 12:20 a.m. on Saturday, September 4 when the negotiators for both sides found common ground on a fair and equitable agreement that met the needs of both parties. At that time, the AAUP called an end to its work stoppage and asked members to hold classes as scheduled.

“Our mission and our top priority is preparing the next generation of the American workforce to excel in their chosen fields,” said Oakland University Board of Trustees Chair Bobby Schostak. “Our board has tremendous respect for the work being done by our university president, Dr. Ora Pescovitz and her cabinet, as well as the work being done by our professors, lecturers and all of the other OU educational team members. We want everyone to work together so our students graduate and continue to make a significant impact in Michigan and society at large.”

“We appreciate the diligence, dedication, and passion of those who negotiated on behalf of the AAUP faculty union and the OU Administration," said Oakland University President Ora Hirsch Pescovitz. "Now, we look forward to a productive partnership in working together to deliver the highest-quality education to our students."

Some of the significant parts of the new contract include:

• Annual salary increase for full-time faculty members plus a one-time $500 bonus this year. Special Lecturers will also receive annual raises at the same rate.
• Promotional increases between ranks (e.g., from Assistant to Associate to Full Professor) will be raised by $500.
• The cap to the amount paid for summer teaching is being reduced from $12,600 to $11,000 (based on a four-credit course).
• Full-time faculty will have 12 weeks of paid parental leave upon the birth, adoption or fostering of a child.
• OU will contribute 95 percent for the first two years and then 90 percent the third year of the contract to the premium for the lowest-cost health care option for faculty.
• Employer retirement contribution for existing full-time faculty will remain the same while new hires will earn an 11 percent contribution after one year of service.
• Special lecturers who teach at least 16 credits each year will receive an extra $500 stipend.
• After eight years of service, special lecturers will receive three-year contracts.
• “Full-time adjuncts” will be known now as “professors of practice” and the provision allows Oakland to employ 55 of these professors across disciplines, but the amount cannot increase by more than 10 in any single year absent the Association’s agreement.
• Revamps the process for rewriting departmental workload policies, namely by establishing clearer timelines
• The number of credit courses a graduate student may teach is changed from 4 to 6, subject to department and dean approval. 
• Special Instructors can be hired with up to three years of credit from prior professional experience, if agreed upon by Oakland and the faculty member.

• To the extent possible, gendered Language has been removed from the entire agreement and the non-discrimination clause was updated.

About Oakland University:

Oakland University is a doctoral, Carnegie Classification R2 “High Research Activity” university located in Oakland and Macomb counties, Michigan. The main campus is located on 1,443 acres of scenic land in the Southeast Michigan cities of Rochester Hills and Auburn Hills. The university also maintains program space at the University Center in Clinton Township and at the Anton/Frankel Center in Mount Clemens. Oakland University offers bachelor's degrees, graduate degrees and certificate programs, and is dedicated to delivering a distinctive college experience. Oakland University is organized into the College of Arts and Sciences (which includes a School of Music, Theatre and Dance), the Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine and the Schools of Business Administration, Education and Human Services, Engineering and Computer Science, Health Sciences, Nursing, and The Honors College. At Oakland, the student experience is enhanced as students work alongside inspired faculty and community mentors in laboratory, field and corporate workplace settings. Students enjoy small class sizes, countless research and social opportunities, and a high rate of job placement after graduation. This rich campus atmosphere is complete with residence halls, Greek life, Division I athletics and more than 300 student groups that lend to the total college experience. Learn more at www.oakland.edu.