A brief summary of each article in our first faculty contract.

Academic Freedom

Goes beyond current Miami policy to assure the full application of the principles of academic freedom as defined by the American Association of University Professors, including recognition that “controversy is at the heart of the free academic inquiry” and that job security is an element of academic freedom. Recognizes that “a faculty member’s expression of opinion as a citizen [i.e., extramural speech] cannot constitute grounds for dismissal unless it clearly demonstrates the faculty member’s unfitness to serve.”

Agreement Construction 

Clarifies that article or section titles are for convenience and have no bearing on interpretation.

Appointment and Promotion of Tenure-Track and Tenured Faculty 

Protects the main features of the tenure and promotion processes for tenure-track and tenured faculty, including credit toward and extensions of the probationary period. Limits the ways in which a faculty member’s tenure can be ended, once awarded. See the Grievance and Arbitration article for appealing a denial of tenure and/or promotion.

Appointment, Renewal, and Promotion of TCPL faculty 

Protects and clarifies current TCPL policies, including appointment durations, promotional structures and timelines, notice periods, and PDPs. It also solidifies presumptive renewal for fully-promoted TCPL faculty. These faculty can only be non-renewed (or terminated in some instances) for lack of work, failure to improve documented deficiencies in performance after a year’s notice, financial exigency, or cause. 

Appointments 

Defines the timing and content of the annual Notice of Appointment provided to new and continuing unit members.

Association Rights 

Outlines how faculty union representatives (“Delegates”) can conduct union business during work hours without losing pay, provided they give advance notice. It establishes provisions for service credit recognition, workload buyouts for union activities with specific request deadlines, and restrictions on former administrators who return to the bargaining unit regarding confidential information they acquired while in administrative roles.

Benefits

Solidifies faculty benefits, including group insurance plans (medical, dental, vision), retirement options (STRS or ARP), education benefits, and access to the university facilities, e.g., Employee Health Center and Rec Center. The contract requires any changes to insurance plans by the university be “substantially similar” to current offerings. The contract also limits, for the first time, health insurance premium increases, and guarantees that faculty will never pay more than non-bargaining unit employees for benefits.

Leaves 

Codifies that faculty are not required to work during university break periods and have job protections for various types of leave. Notably, it includes a new type of leave: bereavement leave will ensure five days per academic year, in the event of the death of a close relative. Defines non-research or service related leave options, parental leave (six weeks fully paid), family medical leave, including paid sick days with a cap of 150 days and opportunities for unpaid personal leave. (Those with more than 150 sick days in their sick leave bank will keep them.)

Professional Development Leaves and Appointments

Defines Faculty Improvement Leave, which provides a semester of full pay or two semesters at two-thirds pay, along with continued benefits and retirement contributions. Tenure-track faculty are guaranteed an Assigned Research Appointment no later than their fourth year, supporting their professional development and research goals. 

Compensation

Outlines faculty compensation, including three 3% annual salary increases (2023, 2024, and 2025), and lump sum payments to partly address differences between negotiated increases and what was previously paid (2% for 2023-2024 and 3% for 2024-2025). The contract also codifies for the first time current promotional increases (5K/7K for TCPLs and 6K/9K for T/TT), and establishes minimum salaries for assistant TCPL and TT faculty (55K and 60K). It also articulates the terms of overload teaching and codifies that summer and winter teaching are compensated at a rate of 3% of salary per credit hour. Lastly, it includes a clause allowing the University to withhold increases during financial exigency.

Discipline and Discharge

Specifies standards and procedures for disciplinary action up to and including termination, including just cause and progressive discipline protections, procedures for pre-disciplinary meetings, and procedures for paid suspension pending investigation. See the Grievance and Arbitration article for further due process protections relevant to disciplinary cases.

Dues Deduction

Describes the process by which union dues will be deducted. Faculty members must sign a membership card with FAM, which will notify the University to deduct dues from member’s post-tax earnings. If faculty wish to revoke their membership, they must notify FAM in writing, which will in turn notify the University to stop dues deduction.

Duration

Sets the duration of the contract, i.e., how long the contract will be valid and in effect. Our contract is set to end on June 30, 2026. 

Facilities and Support

Ensures faculty receive essential resources, including a personal computer, workspace, technology, and library access, with the understanding that these resources remain University property. Importantly, no faculty member can be denied library services or access to materials based on their research or teaching topics, as long as those activities fall within their professional responsibilities.

Faculty Evaluations 

Specifies the main features of annual evaluations, evaluation of teaching, TCPL professional development plans, and formative evaluations for promotion. A faculty member’s evaluation may not be based solely on student evaluations of teaching, and low response rates on student evaluations may not harm a faculty member’s evaluation.

Financial Exigency & Academic Reorganization

This article protects members in the event the administration exercises its pre-existing legal authority to determine the size and make-up of the university workforce. It establishes notice requirements based on years of service, provides severance compensation for tenured faculty, and specifies processes and policies the university must follow should it exercise its recognized rights in this area. 

Grievance and Arbitration

Provides procedures for redressing violations of this collective bargaining agreement, including disciplinary actions lacking just cause. Provides for arbitration by a neutral third party if a grievance is unresolved after meeting with the dean and provost. Defines extent of arbitrator’s authority. Also provides special appeals processes for denial of tenure/promotion and for termination of tenured faculty members. Note: see article for important time limits applicable to the filing of grievances and appeals respectively.

Health, Safety, and Security 

Commits the University to maintaining a safe working environment for faculty, requiring compliance with safety policies and providing necessary training and protective equipment. Faculty members must report safety concerns, complete assigned safety trainings, and adhere to drug and alcohol policies. Additionally, the University will ensure accessible lactation rooms and gender-neutral restrooms across campus buildings.

Intellectual Property

Incorporates current policy on Intellectual Property into the contract. 

Labor-Management Meetings

Establishes a Labor-Management Committee, which will discuss the facilitation of the contract and work on mutually beneficial solutions to issues that need to be solved. 

Management Rights 

Delineates the rights and responsibilities reserved to management, and acknowledges the continued role of shared governance bodies in advising management.

MOU: Artificial Intelligence

Requires the university to discuss AI policy with FAM in labor-management meetings. Makes AI a bargainable subject. 

No Strike/No Lockout 

States that during the period of the contract neither FAM nor bargaining unit members may interrupt or interfere with the operations of the university.

Non-Discrimination and Anti-Harassment 

Holds the university to principles of equal opportunity and freedom from discrimination. Requires the university to provide reasonable accommodation to bargaining unit members with disabilities. Allows the union or the university to resolve DEI issues in labor-management meetings.   

Outside Employment and Professional Activities 

Ensures that bargaining unit faculty members may engage in external activities, including employment, consultation or contracting with other entities, unless such outside activities conflict with established University policies, interfere with a bargaining unit faculty member’s University duties, or if a conflict with the Ohio Ethics Laws is identified.

Performance Improvement Plans 

Protects members by providing clear due process steps to be followed before a faculty member is disciplined for poor performance, specifying that faculty will be notified of areas needing improvement and appropriate performance targets, and will normally be given at least one or two semesters to fix the problem.

Purpose 

Sets the purpose of the entire contract, i.e., to set the terms and conditions of employment and mechanisms to enforce the contract. 

Recognition

Recognizes that the bargaining unit is legally represented by the Faculty Alliance of Miami, i.e., all tenured, tenure-track, and TCPL faculty. It includes information of who is included and excluded from the bargaining unit. 

Separability

In the event that any section of the contract conflicts with law, that section only will be considered null and void. Further, on request of either party, the parties shall meet and discuss replacement language.

Union Access to Information and Facilities 

States that the university will provide FAM with office space and necessary information and will allow access to university facilities similarly to other non-student university organizations.