October’s UFF-FSU First Friday gathering will be held at Ray’s Steel City Saloon on John Knox Road, just off Monroe Street across from the Tallahassee Mall. We’ll be gathering there from 5:00-7:00 and, as always, UFF will provide light snacks. All are welcome.
Monthly Archives: September 2011
2011 Non-Recurring Merit Bonus Award Procedure Announced
The following guidelines and procedures have been announced for 2011 non-recurring merit bonus awards. As per the Memorandum of Agreement between UFF-FSU and the FSU Board of Trustees, bonuses will average $750 per faculty FTE and will be distributed based on established departmental evaluation procedures.
UFF-BOT Memorandum of Agreement on Merit Awards
Worksheet to be completed by deans and chairs regarding distribution of Merit Awards
Report on University Welfare
Report on University Welfare
for Faculty Senate, September 21st, 2011
By Professor Jack Fiorito, UFF-FSU President
Collective Bargaining
The Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) for 2010-13 was
finally printed and distributed. If you do not have your copy please let me know.
Bargaining on re-openers for 2011-12 commenced in May, with salaries (Art. 23) automatically re-opened and each side allowed to select two more articles. The Administration/BOT team chose Performance Evaluation (Art. 10) and Tenure (Art. 15), while the UFF faculty team chose Academic Freedom and Responsibility (Art. 5) and Benefits (Art. 24). By mutual agreement, the teams will also re-negotiate the Salary Plan for Professors (Art. 25), and long-gestating Non-Tenure Track Faculty issues that cut across several articles.
9/28: A Conversation with Provost Stokes
UFF-FSU is happy to announce that we will be sponsoring “A Conversation with Provost Stokes” on Wednesday, September 28, from 12:30-1:30 in the Askew Student Life Center, Room 101B&D. Lunch will be provided free to UFF-FSU members; non-members will be charged $12 to cover the cost of their lunch.
Please RSVP to Jack Fiorito.
Bargaining Team Signs Off on Winter Break Memorandum of Agreement
The UFF-FSU bargaining team, and its counterpart representing the Board of Trustees, have signed off on a memorandum of agreement concerning Winter Break. Ratification of this and other MOAs and article reopeners (e.g. the previously announced MOA on merit pay and the renegotiated version of Article 23 [Salaries]) will be held later this semester.
Texas, Don’t Mess With Florida
UFF-FSU is examining several proposals for major reform of higher education in Florida. For now, we refer you to the following resource pages:
The Seven Breakthrough Solutions proposed for higher education in Texas are inspiring Governor Scott to consider similar reforms in Florida. For a humorous analysis of the Texas proposal, see these two 8-minute animated videos, produced by faculty at Texas A&M. For more formal responses, see Maintaining Excellence and Efficiency at UT-Austin: A Response to the “Seven Breakthroughs Solutions” and Other Proposals and Analysis of Efficiency and Graduation Rates at UT-Austin and Other Public Research Universities in the U.S., both published by the University of Texas – Austin.
We also suggest that you read Breakthrough Solutions for Higher Education: Florida Can Do Better than Texas, the document that President Barron presented to the FSU Board of Trustees at their September 2011 meeting, as well as the associated Tallahassee Democrat article.
They’re back…Legislature to consider proposals to eliminate/change tenure
As expected, some of the bad ideas that failed to become Florida law last session are circulating again in pre-session circles. Among these are proposals to eliminate or change tenure in state-assisted higher education.
September “First” Friday
The September First Second Friday gathering will be held on September 9, from 5:00-7:00 at Miller’s Ale House, on the north side of Apalachee Parkway, just east of downtown (before Magnolia). This will be a chance to reconnect with colleagues after the summer, celebrate (and maybe even spend a bit of) your UFF-negotiated performance and merit raises, and brace yourself for the onslaught when the legislative committees return to make mischief in November.
As always, UFF-FSU will provide light snacks. All UFF-FSU members and their guests are invited.
Labor Day Picnic!
Our Big Bend Labor Chapter affiliate is hosting its annual Labor Day Picnic on Monday, September 5th, from 11am-4pm at Myers Park. All FSU faculty members and their families and guests are welcome. This event is open to the entire community. More information is at this link:
Labor Day Picnic!