Congratulations to the 2024 AAUP-Utica Scholarship Winners!

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The Virgil C. Crisafulli Scholarship for leadership and service in the spirit of the AAUP was awarded to Natasha Myalik, nominated by Professor Yvonne Monti.

The Robert W. Millett Scholarship for Academic Achievement was awarded to Kathi Jabe, nominated by Professor Elizabeth Threadgill.

Thanks also to the 2024 AAUP-Utica Scholarship Committee members, Linnea Franits and Dan Tagliarina.

About AAUP-Utica Scholarships

Two $1,000 scholarships are awarded annually at the AAUP-Utica spring luncheon. AAUP-Utica members are invited to nominate worthy Utica University students who:

  • Are in at least their second semester at Utica University, and
  • Have not yet completed their undergraduate degree, and
  • Need to complete at least 12 credits after the spring semester to earn their undergraduate degree, and
  • Have not already been awarded a scholarship by the AAUP-Utica.

While any nominee should have both an outstanding academic record and an interest in service to the community, the emphasis is different, with the Millett scholarship highlighting the academic and the Crisafulli highlighting service. A subcommittee of the governing board reviews the nominations and determines the winners of the scholarships.

The Virgil C. Crisafulli Scholarship is awarded each year to a student for demonstrated outstanding leadership in regard to at least one of the AAUP’s core values such as academic freedom, professional responsibility, civic service, humanitarian concern for others, and solidarity with those who share the common goals of equity and voice for all.

The Robert W. Millett Scholarship is awarded each year to a student for academic excellence reflecting the values of the AAUP: respect for open dialogue and the free exchange of ideas; the right to self-expression; integrity in scholarly endeavors; and support for academic freedom.

AAUP-Utica Student Scholarship Nominations due May 3!

AAUP-Utica members, do you have an outstanding student who could benefit from a $1,000 scholarship? 💰

If so, consider nominating them for one of the two AAUP-Utica $1,000 student scholarships! 

1️⃣  The Virgil C. Crisafulli Scholarship is awarded each spring to a Utica University student for demonstrated outstanding leadership in regard to at least one of AAUP’s core values such as academic freedom, professional responsibility, civic service, humanitarian concern for others, and solidarity with those who share the common goals of equity and a voice for all.

2️⃣  The Robert W. Millett Scholarship is awarded each spring to a Utica University student for academic excellence reflecting the values of the AAUP: respect for open dialogue and the free exchange of ideas; the right to self-expression; integrity in scholarly endeavors; and support for academic freedom.

While any nominee should have both an outstanding academic record and an interest in service to the community, the emphasis for each award is different. The Millett scholarship highlights academics and the Crisafulli scholarship highlights service.

ELIGIBILITY

In order to be eligible for an AAUP-Utica scholarship, a Utica University student must:

  1. Be in at least their second semester at Utica University, and
  2. Have not yet completed their undergraduate degree, and
  3. Need to complete at least 12 credits after the current spring semester to earn their undergraduate degree, and
  4. Have not already been awarded a scholarship by the AAUP-Utica

NOMINATIONS

AAUP-Utica members are invited to nominate worthy Utica University students for these scholarships. 

To nominate a student, please send the nominee’s name and a letter of recommendation to the AAUP-Utica Scholarship Committee: Dan Tagliarina and Linnea Franits no later than Friday, May 3, 2024. Be sure to specify which scholarship you are nominating your student for.

⭐️ Scholarship winners will be announced at our Spring Business Meeting on Wednesday, May 8 ⭐️

Lastly, don’t forget that if you purchase any AAUP-Utica items from our store, a portion of each purchase goes towards the AAUP-Utica Student Scholarship Fund. There is also an option on the store website to make a gift to support the student scholarship fund without making a purchase. 

AAUP-Utica Tentative Agreement Is Ratified!

The September 5, 2023 Tentative Agreement was ratified by the AAUP-Utica Membership on Wednesday, September 27, and by the Utica University Board of Trustees on Thursday, September 28! 🎉

AAUP-Utica bargaining unit members are again working with a contract, effective immediately!

85% of the AAUP-Utica membership (85% of voting members) voted on the contract ratification, and 99% voted YES to ratifying the tentative agreement. 

This is a huge win, and it is the result of a lot of hard work by the AAUP-Utica negotiation team, the entire AAUP-Utica leadership, and everyone who participated in the AAUP-Utica’s collective actions and mobilization efforts last year in the fight for a fair contract. All of those actions helped give the AAUP-Utica strength at the bargaining table.

Read about this momentous win in the Daily Sentinel “Contract agreement a ‘win’ for both sides at Utica University.”

Spring/Summer 2023 Grievance Report

Make sure you know your rights under the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) and under the NLRA. Check out the Spring/Summer 2023 Grievance Report, which summarizes the grievances we have had to contend with over the past six months. Many of the areas of the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) that are mentioned in this report are the result of multiple grievance investigations, and the grievances in this report come from bargaining unit members in all three schools. Please look over this report so that you can stay informed of your rights and protections in the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) and under the National Labor Relations Act.

Huge thanks 🙏 to Kirstin Walker, and more recently to Chris Riddle (our second grievance officer who officially started July 1, 2023), for their hard work as our AAUP-Utica grievance officers! 

Spring/Summer 2023 Grievance ReportDownload

Congratulations To Our New Board Members!

Congratulations to our newly elected Vice President, Daniel Tagliarina, our re-elected Secretary, Jim Brown, our newly elected Member-At-Large, Zhaodan Huang, and our re-elected Members-At-Large, Linnéa Franits, and Ariel Gratch, who will take office on July 1, 2023.

Beginning July 1, the AAUP-Utica Governing Board for 2023-2024 is:

  • President: Leonore Fleming, Associate Professor of Philosophy
  • Vice President: Daniel Tagliarina, Associate Professor of Political Science
  • Treasurer: John Peter, Associate Professor of Mathematics
  • Secretary: Jim Brown, Associate Professor of Criminal Justice 
  • Immediate Past President: Adam Pack, Distinguished Professor of Biology

  • Linnéa Franits, Associate Professor of Occupational Therapy
  • Ariel Gratch, Associate Professor of Communication Arts
  • Zhaodan Huang, Distinguished Professor of Finance
  • Amy Lindsey, Associate Professor of Psychology
  • Jeffrey Miller, Professor of Communication Arts
  • Deborah Pollack, Assistant Professor of Psychology

We also want to take a moment to thank Doug Edwards, whose one-year term as Vice President ends on June 30, 2023. During his year as Vice President, Doug was courageous, level-headed, and an important voice of reason. His passion, his hard work, and above all, his incredible thoughtfulness, helped us navigate a very difficult and taxing year. Doug worked tirelessly fighting the good fight, and advocating for the faculty and students at Utica University, and we thank him for it!

Congratulations to the 2023 AAUP-Utica Scholarship Winners!

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The Virgil C. Crisafulli Scholarship for leadership and service in the spirit of the AAUP was awarded to Rhiana Marie Wojcik, nominated by Professor Kirstin Walker.

The Robert W. Millett Scholarship for Academic Achievement was awarded to Alexandra (Lexi) Lumley, nominated by Professors Sarah Keesom & Adam Pack.

Thanks also to the 2023 AAUP-Utica Scholarship Committee members, Dan Tagliarina and Ari Gratch

About AAUP-Utica Scholarships

Two $1,000 scholarships are awarded annually at the AAUP-Utica spring luncheon. AAUP-Utica members are invited to nominate worthy Utica University students who:

  • Are in at least their second semester at Utica University, and
  • Have not yet completed their undergraduate degree, and
  • Need to complete at least 12 credits after the spring semester to earn their undergraduate degree, and
  • Have not already been awarded a scholarship by the AAUP-Utica.

While any nominee should have both an outstanding academic record and an interest in service to the community, the emphasis is different, with the Millett scholarship highlighting the academic and the Crisafulli highlighting service. A subcommittee of the governing board reviews the nominations and determines the winners of the scholarships.

The Virgil C. Crisafulli Scholarship is awarded each year to a student for demonstrated outstanding leadership in regard to at least one of the AAUP’s core values such as academic freedom, professional responsibility, civic service, humanitarian concern for others, and solidarity with those who share the common goals of equity and voice for all.

The Robert W. Millett Scholarship is awarded each year to a student for academic excellence reflecting the values of the AAUP: respect for open dialogue and the free exchange of ideas; the right to self-expression; integrity in scholarly endeavors; and support for academic freedom.

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