An Open Letter from the Governing Board

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WE ARE WORTH MORE THAN 0%

10+ months fighting for a fair contract, advocating for the needs of the full-time faculty, librarians, and HEOP counselors.

9.97% increase in inflation since August 2021.

89+ days working without a contract.

7.625% pay cut for full-time faculty, librarians, and HEOP counselors for fiscal year 2020-2021.

68% of 119 full-time faculty and librarians who participated in a survey last week said they would vote Yes on a strike authorization vote.

5 members in the university leadership (at least) are leaving the institution at the end of the semester.

4 outstanding information requests still remain from the AAUP-Utica asking the University to explain their financial position.

3 extraordinary faculty (at least) are leaving this institution to take other jobs.

2 talented students (at least) withdrew within the last few weeks from the University in order to transfer to other institutions because their major was cut by the Board of Trustees on February 16, 2023.

1 year after becoming a “University,” the Board of Trustees voted to cut 13 programs at the behest of President Laura Casamento.

This past year we’ve been given

0% respect and shared governance

0% justification and transparency

0% raise in salary

Our working conditions are our students’ learning conditions. We are worth more than this; our students are worth more than this. We are all worth more than 0%.

Leonore Fleming, President, AAUP Utica/AFT 6786

AAUP-Utica Governing Board Officers

Douglas Edwards, Vice President             

John Peter, Treasurer                                    

Jim Brown, Secretary                                     

Adam Pack, Immediate Past President         

Xiao Xiao, Immediate Past Treasurer            

Kirstin Walker, Grievance Officer                  

AAUP-Utica Governing Board Members At Large

Linnéa Franits

Ariel Gratch

Amy Lindsey 

Jeffrey Miller  

Deborah Pollack

Daniel Tagliarina

aaup-utica-govering-board-letterDownload

Rally to Save Utica! Video Summary and News Round Up

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Click the Facebook Post Above or Click Here to Watch the Save Utica! Rally Summary Video.

We also have livestream footage of the entire four-hour event on our Instagram: @aauputica, and The Tangerine did a great job documenting the event and recording the individual speeches as well. You can watch their videos from the event on their Instagram using the links below: 

Finally, make sure to check out the great news coverage of the event by clicking the pictures below: 

Or click the links directly:

Rally To Save Utica! This Friday During Utica University Board of Trustees Meetings

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Come Out To Support Utica University Faculty, Students, Staff, and Alumni!

The Utica University Board of Trustees will be on campus this coming Friday, Feb. 17 and will be voting on whether or not to eliminate majors in Chemistry, Physics (BA), Geoscience, Philosophy, Spanish, International Studies, Therapeutic Recreation, Healthcare Management, Nutrition, Sociology & Anthropology, and more. As well as voting to modify English, History, Math, Political Science, Accounting, and others.

Sign Up for Updates and RSVP to Event
RSVP to Facebook Event

Please consider joining our Rally to Save Utica on Friday morning (stop by any time between 8:30am-12:30pm) to support the Utica University Faculty, Students, Staff and Alumni and help us make our voices heard!

This event is open to anyone and everyone. It’s a chance for faculty, students, staff, alumni and community members to come together and support one another.

Schedule of speakers and events will be released as soon as available.

Location Information:
*Directions to Duffy Plaza (outside Boehlert Hall) at Utica University*

Sign up for updates and RSVP here: tinyurl.com/SaveUticaRally

RSVP to the Facebook Event here: https://fb.me/e/3e4YWvFdS

Learn more at: https://aauputica.org/

Email: aauputica@gmail.com with any questions

Follow @aauputica on Instagram to watch the Livestream

Dear AFT, If you missed Utica University’s controlled Dome deflation yesterday you can watch a time lapse video of it here! What the duck is Dan hiding? A birthday! 🎂 🥳 Happy Birthday to our wonderful AAUP-Utica board member, @dantags13!! #aauputica #unionstrong #draxlife #havingfun If you believe that discipline will result from a meeting with administration (in legalese, “an investigatory interview”), you can insist that a union representative be present. Throwback to the last time Utica Faculty and Librarians were working without a contract, 2008-2009. History repeats itself. We’re drowning over here. #aauputica #aaup #faircontractnow #unionmemes #arewehavingfunyet #1u

AAUP-Utica President, Vice President, and numerous faculty and librarians deliver petition and letters condemning proposed cuts to University President and Board of Trustees

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February 9, 2023, 4:00PM, Office of the President at Utica University:

AAUP Utica/AFT 6786 President Leonore Fleming and Vice President Douglas Edwards, accompanied by a number of Utica University Faculty and Librarians, deliver the “Save Utica! Stop the Cuts!” Petition, that had gathered over 1302 signatures at the time of delivery. Nine letters from local, regional, and national associations were also delivered to Anthony M. Villanti, Special Assistant to the President and Secretary to the Board of Trustees.

“As president of the AAUP-Utica, I beg the Utica University President and the Board of Trustees to read these documents, to listen to these diverse voices, and think critically about the points that are being raised. We ask not just to be heard, but to be provided answers.”

– AAUP-Utica President Leonore Fleming

“The administration and the board have bypassed clearly established curricular processes in the union’s collective bargaining agreement, the Faculty Senate Bylaws, and established Curriculum Committee procedures, announcing on January 18, 2023 the proposed elimination of 15 majors and significant and mandatory modifications of eight others.”

– New York State Conference of the AAUP

Letters in the delivery to the University President and Board of Trustees Include (click the links to read the letters in their entirety):

The Utica University Faculty, Librarians and Students are so thankful for the support from the 1300+ people who signed the “Save Utica! Stop the Cuts!” petition as well as the support from the nine organizations who wrote and sent in letters.

“Utica University describes itself as an institution that provides ‘outstanding educational pathways’ and values ‘Intellectual growth, creativity, and scholarship in the pursuit of knowledge… Freedom of expression and civil discourse… [and] Ethical behavior and integrity.’ It would be difficult to argue that Utica University is living up to these values or fulfilling its commitment to a comprehensive liberal arts education were it to eliminate its philosophy major.”

– American Philosophical Association

Utica University Program Elimination News Round Up

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Catch up on what’s been going on at Utica University since the announcement on January 18, 2023 by Utica University’s outgoing president, Laura Casamento, and the outgoing Board of Trustees Chair, Bob Brvenik, to eliminate 15 majors as well as their recommendation that 8 more majors and 1 program be revised or else perhaps risk being eliminated.

Click the images below to read the following news stories:

PLEASE SIGN OUR THE PETITION HERE and PLEASE SHARE IT! WE’RE ALMOST AT 1000 SIGNATURES!

Download the January 25, 2023 Faculty Senate Censure of the Board of Trustees Here or read it below:

Censure of the Board of Trustees 1-25-23Download

AAUP-Utica President Responds to Utica University’s Announcement to Eliminate 15 Majors

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Utica University’s outgoing president, Laura Casamento, and the outgoing Board of Trustees Chair, Bob Brvenik, announced their recommendation today to eliminate 15 majors as well as their recommendation that 8 more majors and 1 program be revised or else perhaps risk being eliminated.

This announcement comes amid a grievance that the AAUP-Utica filed on January 10, 2023 over the University’s failure to follow proper shared governance procedures as specified in the AAUP-Utica’s Collective Bargaining Agreement.

The AAUP-Utica is currently awaiting Provost Pfannestiel’s response to Step 2 of the Grievance Procedure as outlined in the Collective Bargaining Agreement.

The AAUP-Utica President, Leonore Fleming, responds to the University’s “Red Wednesday” Announcement in the following video message sent to Utica University bargaining unit members:

AAUP-UC Stands in Solidarity with Oregon Tech Faculty and OT-AAUP

For 555 days Oregon Tech – AAUP negotiated tirelessly for fair wages, secure benefits, and clearly defined workload expectations, and on Monday, April 26, they were left with no alternative but to strike.

The AAUP-UC governing board has sent a letter to Oregon Tech’s President urging the administration to settle a fair contract with OT-AAUP and put an end to this strike. We stand in solidarity with our AAUP colleagues as they fight for a fair agreement that respects all faculty, and supports Oregon Tech’s larger mission to serve its students and the larger community.

If you want to support the faculty at Oregon Tech, you can send a letter of support here, follow them on Facebook and Twitter, and considering posting a photo of yourself holding your own solidarity message (such as “I stand with OT-AAUP”) on Twitter and tag the chapter’s account: @OTAAUP

#FairContractNow

#OTAAUPOnStrike

#Solidarity