Rider University Chapter of the AAUP
  • Home
  • About
    • Mission Statement
    • Chapter Meeting Minutes
    • Presentations from AAUP Meetings
    • Meeting Dates 21-22
    • Points of Contact
    • AAUP Officers
    • AAUP Awards >
      • Bertram Mott Award
      • Henry J. Frank Award
    • P&T Committee Members
    • APC Committee Members
    • UAPC Committees
    • Training for College/School Academic Policy Committee Members
    • CIM Training Video
    • Membership
    • Assumption of Risk and Waiver Form for Employees that is required for travel funds
  • Contract
  • Grievances
    • Grievance Process
    • Amendments to Grievance Process, Updated April 2016
    • Grievance Procedure Explained
  • Constitution
    • I - Name
    • II - Purpose
    • III - Membership
    • IV - Dues
    • V - Chapter Officers
    • VI - Committees
    • VII - Election of Officers
    • VIII - Removal of Officers
    • IX - Disciplining of Members
    • X - Meetings
    • XI - Contract Ratification
    • XII - Finance
    • XIII - Amendments
  • Saving WCC
    • Decision on Standing Lawsuit
    • AAUP Response to Provost Fredeen's October 2nd Email
    • Important Information on Campus Consolidation
    • Chinese Company Out As Buyer Of Westminster Choir College
    • Kaiwen is Gone
    • Kaiwen Education Reply to a June 2019 Inquiry from the Shenzhen Stock Exchange
    • Update on Kaiwen Education's Financial Status
    • Arbitration Over Layoffs at WCC
    • Kaiwen Education 2018 Annual Report
    • By Federal Reserve Standards Kaiwen Education is a Highly Leveraged and Risky Business
    • Two Updates on Kaiwen's Finances
    • Due Diligence and Kaiwen Education
    • Chronology of a Crisis
    • WCC Reset
    • New Jersey Attorney General’s Office Delivers Major Setback to Rider University’s Plan to Sell Westminster Choir College
    • Westminster Foundation Press Release on AG Investigation
    • Purchase Agreement
    • Faculty Shocked to Learn Secret Agreement Would Allow Buyer to Close Westminster Choir College
    • Universities as the Guardians of Assets
    • Press Release Kaiwen Finances
    • 2019 Report on Kaiwen
    • DejaVuDellOmo
    • Kaiwen Announcement 1/11/19
    • AAUP Goes to the NJ Assembly
    • Sign the Petition to Save WCC
    • WWCAC Letter November 8 2018
    • Kaiwen Education: Report on Company Performance Through the Third Quarter 2018
    • New Information Reveals Chinese Corporation Plans to Take $20 Million Westminster Choir College Endowment despite Prohibitions Imposed by State/Federal Law
    • More Bad News about Kaiwen
    • Claims v. Reality
    • AAUP Challenges Legitimacy of Newly announced Non-Profit Said To Be Created To Run Westminster Choir College
    • Label Your Stuff!
    • WCC Alumni Council Questions and Answers
    • Statement on Proposed Sale of Westminster Choir College Faculty Union Vows to Continue Oppose ill-conceived Sale of Iconic Music School
    • June 7 Letter to Board
    • A Failure of Due Diligence
    • Bond 2017
    • Chronology of the WCC Crisis
    • Kaiwen Education Technology
    • Pending Legal Actions >
      • Legal Complaints against Rider University over Sale of WCC
    • The Legacy of Westminster Choir College
    • Updates and Information Sent to Faculty from AAUP Leadership >
      • A Letter to WCC Faculty regarding President Dell'Omo's Letter
      • Open Letter to Board of Trustees
      • Letter to Faculty
      • How a For-profit Company Might Ruin Westminster
      • A Message from AAUP regarding the potential layoff of Westminster Faculty
      • ​Update on Westminster
    • Press Releases >
      • Outrage Over Rider University's Plan To Sell Legendary Choir College To Chinese For-Profit Company With No Experience in Higher Education
      • DellOmo Lays Off Entire WCC Faculty
    • WCC Crisis in the News >
      • The Coalition to Save Westminster Choir College Initiates Spin-Off Discussions With Rider University Administration
    • Letters of Support for WCC >
      • Eric Whitacre Praises Westminster
      • Statement of support from NJ Higher Ed Leadership Council.
      • Support for Westminster Choir College
    • Teach In at WCC
    • WCC Teach In Audio >
      • Remarks by Laura Brooks Rice
      • Have American Universities Lost Their Way? by Joel Phillips
    • Governance Standards in Institutional Mergers and Acquisitions
  • 2022 Negotiations
    • Negotiation Updates
    • STRIKE FAQ
    • AAUP's Response to Admin's "Critical Need for Change"
    • AAUP v. Admin Proposals
    • CREDO >
      • Admin's Prioritization Report
      • WCC Students Petition DellOmo
      • Dr. Sanjay G. Reddy Speaks to the Chapter
      • A Bargaining Unit Member's Guide to Credo Part 1
      • A Bargaining Unit Member's Guide to Credo Part 2
      • Rider AAUP Executive Committee Recommendations Concerning Credo Consulting
      • Administration Attempts to Bully AAUP Executive Committee
      • Save Rider Rally
Negotiating Update for Wednesday, August 24 and Thursday, August 25

Dear Colleagues,
The parties met on Wednesday and Thursday, and we were able to make progress on a number of minor issues. We reached tentative agreement on Association Privileges, Personnel Files, Grievance and Arbitration, and Appointments.  Most of these involved maintenance of the language in the existing Agreement
None of these agreements changed the administration’s intention to use every weapon at their disposal including attacking our right to collective bargaining in order to extract major economic concessions of over $5 million from us. 
These demands include the 4/4 teaching load, the elimination of the tuition subsidy at other institutions, the elimination of the Assistant II rank and the salary increase that comes with that promotion, the elimination of the Athletic III rank for coaches, major increases in the cost of health insurance, the elimination of all benefits for adjunct faculty, lower starting salaries for lecturers, no annual raises and continuation of the reduced contribution to our retirement accounts. 
The only way we can resist this massive reduction in our living standards is through united action by all of us. If you have not already done so, click the following link to fill out the Action Survey https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/7QSHR3B, be prepared to participate in all of our actions, and sign up for our new social media platform (Raftr). 
The future of our union and our careers are at stake, nothing short of militant unity will preserve them.

Negotiating Update for Wednesday, August 24


Colleagues,
The parties met and made progress on important but secondary issues. We will meet again tomorrow morning and will give a full update after tomorrow’s negotiation. 

In Solidarity,
AAUP Negotiating Team

Negotiating Update for Wednesday, August 17 and Thursday, August 18

Dear Colleagues,
The parties met on Wednesday and Thursday this week and we were able to achieve a pathway for long term job security, protection of academic freedom and academic ranks for lecturers. 
This advance did not come easily or at no cost. The administration was insistent on reductions in secretarial support as part of this package and while we were able to insist on some protections for faculty secretarial support we did agree to weakened language in that area.
But as we negotiated on this the administration was insistent that they intend to use every weapon at their disposal including attacking our right to collective bargaining in order to extract major economic concessions of over $5 million from us. 
These demands include the 4/4 teaching load, the elimination of the tuition subsidy at other institutions, the elimination of the Assistant II rank and the salary increase that comes with that promotion, the elimination of the Athletic III rank for coaches, major increases in the cost of health insurance, the elimination of all benefits for adjunct faculty, lower starting salaries for lecturers, no annual raises and continuation of the reduced contribution to our retirement accounts. 
The only way we can resist this massive reduction in our living standards is through united action by all of us. If you have not already done so, click the following link to fill out the Action Survey https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/7QSHR3B, be prepared to participate in all of our actions, and sign up for our new social media platform (Raftr). 
The future of our union and our careers are at stake, nothing short of militant unity will preserve them.



Negotiating Update for Wednesday, August 17

Colleagues,
The parties met and made progress on important but secondary issues. We will meet again tomorrow morning and will give a full update after tomorrow’s negotiation. 

In Solidarity,
AAUP Negotiating Team


Negotiation Update for Wednesday, August 10

The parties met today and discussed a number of important items and agreed to meet again tomorrow. There will be a complete update on Thursday, August 11
In Solidarity,
Your Negotiating Team,


Negotiation Update for August 3rd

Dear Colleagues,
The parties met and there was some discussion about their proposal on health insurance, but no substantive progress was made. We then put proposals on the table to try to meet some of their concerns about managerial authority. We linked those proposals with their agreeing to accept the bargaining unit as presently constituted. Therefore, removing the threat to remove tenured and tenure track faculty, head coaches and trainers from the bargaining unit. We await their responses, which we should hear next week, and we will be meeting on Wednesday and Thursday.

In Solidarity,
Your Negotiating Team

Negotiation Update for Wednesday, July 27th
​
Dear Colleagues,
In yesterday’s meeting the administration proposed slashing our benefits by well over $2 million. These proposals are in addition to increasing our teaching workload by two courses per year while implementing a salary freeze. 

They propose to:

    * Eliminate  tuition remission for dependent attendance at institutions other than Rider.
    * Continue contributing the least allowable percentage to TIAA during the life of this Agreement (5%).

    * Strip eligible adjunct faculty of all medical benefits.

    * Eliminate the 100/80 PPO and the HMO plans, leaving only the 90/70 PPO and the high-deductible plan.

    * Double the deductible for the 90/70 plan from $500 to $1,000 for single in-network coverage. Presently there is no deductible in the 100/80 plan.

    * Increase the maximum out-of-pocket expenses for the 90/70 plan from $9,000 to $15,000 for family out-of-network coverage.

    * Increase premiums for single coverage for the 90/70 plan to circa $3,300 for single coverage.

    * Eliminate the payment for waiving medical coverage.

    * Eliminate the contribution by the University to members' Bene-Save accounts.

We made it clear that we have seen our economic situation deteriorate over the last seven years, and we were not prepared to see it further eroded.

     In Solidarity,
     Your Negotiating Team



Negotiation Update for Wednesday, July 20th


Colleagues,

The parties met and the university provided us with their proposal on governance and repeated their threat to petition the National Labor Relations Board if we don't agree to their proposal. Their proposal would replace the existing governance structure with a “faculty senate.” The senate could make recommendations to the administration and the administration could ignore those recommendations and implement academic policy on its own.

In Solidarity,
Your Negotiating Team

Negotiation Update for July 13


Dear Colleagues,
The parties met today and  worked primarily on Article II, Non-Discrimination and Affirmative Action. Our original proposal sought to create an active, effective committee with the primary authority to recommend to the president improved policies and practices in the area of DEI. However, the administration was opposed to giving that committee a central role. In order to move negotiations forward, we compromised and agreed to their proposal to reduce the committee to a secondary role. A few items in that article remain under discussion.

We had also proposed the inclusion of DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion) practices into the appointment and promotion-and-tenure processes. The administration made clear that it is opposed to adding that to the agreement. 

We also discussed Article IV - Academic Freedom, Article V - Association Privileges, and Article XXIV - General Working Conditions.

In solidarity,
Your Negotiating Team


July 6th Update


Dear Colleagues  

We met with the administration today and they again pushed for a quicker pace. We pointed out that it is difficult to make any progress without the information that we requested over a year ago and that the administration has yet to supply in its entirety. We did try to focus on a small number of articles where we thought we might be able to make progress.  Among those was our proposal to reconstitute the Affirmative Action Committee as the Non-Discrimination, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion committee with a broader role. While the administration’s attorney claimed that they agreed that Rider needed to do a better job in this area they could not agree with our proposal to expand the reach and authority of the committee.


Jun 29 Negotiation Update

Dear Colleagues,

The parties met and began to review our proposals. Though the administration’s attorney appeared to understand the goals of our proposals, there was very little engagement with the underlying substantive issues that form their basis. We will meet again next Wednesday.

In solidarity,

Your Negotiating Team

Negotiation Update for Wednesday, June 22nd

​
The parties met and the administration went over their proposal. They emphasized two major goals.  The first, to alter our governance structure at the departmental, program, college, and university level to give complete control to the administration. And secondly, the bargaining unit members must make a significant reduction in compensation and benefits, as well as increase faculty workload to 4/4.
 
We will meet again next Wednesday and we will continue to update as we go forward.Colleagues,
The parties met and the university provided us with their proposal on governance and repeated their threat to petition the National Labor Relations Board if we don't agree to their proposal. Their proposal would replace the existing governance structure with a “faculty senate.” The senate could make recommendations to the administration and the administration could ignore those recommendations and implement academic policy on its own.

In Solidarity,
Your Negotiating Team

Helpful Links & FAQs

Search the Website

National AAUP Website
Academic Policy Manual

University Anti-Harassment & 
Non-Discrimination Policy & Procedures


When is the next chapter meeting?
I need to contact Jeff or Terri!
Where can I download the contract?
Who is my grievance liaison?

  • Home
  • About
    • Mission Statement
    • Chapter Meeting Minutes
    • Presentations from AAUP Meetings
    • Meeting Dates 21-22
    • Points of Contact
    • AAUP Officers
    • AAUP Awards >
      • Bertram Mott Award
      • Henry J. Frank Award
    • P&T Committee Members
    • APC Committee Members
    • UAPC Committees
    • Training for College/School Academic Policy Committee Members
    • CIM Training Video
    • Membership
    • Assumption of Risk and Waiver Form for Employees that is required for travel funds
  • Contract
  • Grievances
    • Grievance Process
    • Amendments to Grievance Process, Updated April 2016
    • Grievance Procedure Explained
  • Constitution
    • I - Name
    • II - Purpose
    • III - Membership
    • IV - Dues
    • V - Chapter Officers
    • VI - Committees
    • VII - Election of Officers
    • VIII - Removal of Officers
    • IX - Disciplining of Members
    • X - Meetings
    • XI - Contract Ratification
    • XII - Finance
    • XIII - Amendments
  • Saving WCC
    • Decision on Standing Lawsuit
    • AAUP Response to Provost Fredeen's October 2nd Email
    • Important Information on Campus Consolidation
    • Chinese Company Out As Buyer Of Westminster Choir College
    • Kaiwen is Gone
    • Kaiwen Education Reply to a June 2019 Inquiry from the Shenzhen Stock Exchange
    • Update on Kaiwen Education's Financial Status
    • Arbitration Over Layoffs at WCC
    • Kaiwen Education 2018 Annual Report
    • By Federal Reserve Standards Kaiwen Education is a Highly Leveraged and Risky Business
    • Two Updates on Kaiwen's Finances
    • Due Diligence and Kaiwen Education
    • Chronology of a Crisis
    • WCC Reset
    • New Jersey Attorney General’s Office Delivers Major Setback to Rider University’s Plan to Sell Westminster Choir College
    • Westminster Foundation Press Release on AG Investigation
    • Purchase Agreement
    • Faculty Shocked to Learn Secret Agreement Would Allow Buyer to Close Westminster Choir College
    • Universities as the Guardians of Assets
    • Press Release Kaiwen Finances
    • 2019 Report on Kaiwen
    • DejaVuDellOmo
    • Kaiwen Announcement 1/11/19
    • AAUP Goes to the NJ Assembly
    • Sign the Petition to Save WCC
    • WWCAC Letter November 8 2018
    • Kaiwen Education: Report on Company Performance Through the Third Quarter 2018
    • New Information Reveals Chinese Corporation Plans to Take $20 Million Westminster Choir College Endowment despite Prohibitions Imposed by State/Federal Law
    • More Bad News about Kaiwen
    • Claims v. Reality
    • AAUP Challenges Legitimacy of Newly announced Non-Profit Said To Be Created To Run Westminster Choir College
    • Label Your Stuff!
    • WCC Alumni Council Questions and Answers
    • Statement on Proposed Sale of Westminster Choir College Faculty Union Vows to Continue Oppose ill-conceived Sale of Iconic Music School
    • June 7 Letter to Board
    • A Failure of Due Diligence
    • Bond 2017
    • Chronology of the WCC Crisis
    • Kaiwen Education Technology
    • Pending Legal Actions >
      • Legal Complaints against Rider University over Sale of WCC
    • The Legacy of Westminster Choir College
    • Updates and Information Sent to Faculty from AAUP Leadership >
      • A Letter to WCC Faculty regarding President Dell'Omo's Letter
      • Open Letter to Board of Trustees
      • Letter to Faculty
      • How a For-profit Company Might Ruin Westminster
      • A Message from AAUP regarding the potential layoff of Westminster Faculty
      • ​Update on Westminster
    • Press Releases >
      • Outrage Over Rider University's Plan To Sell Legendary Choir College To Chinese For-Profit Company With No Experience in Higher Education
      • DellOmo Lays Off Entire WCC Faculty
    • WCC Crisis in the News >
      • The Coalition to Save Westminster Choir College Initiates Spin-Off Discussions With Rider University Administration
    • Letters of Support for WCC >
      • Eric Whitacre Praises Westminster
      • Statement of support from NJ Higher Ed Leadership Council.
      • Support for Westminster Choir College
    • Teach In at WCC
    • WCC Teach In Audio >
      • Remarks by Laura Brooks Rice
      • Have American Universities Lost Their Way? by Joel Phillips
    • Governance Standards in Institutional Mergers and Acquisitions
  • 2022 Negotiations
    • Negotiation Updates
    • STRIKE FAQ
    • AAUP's Response to Admin's "Critical Need for Change"
    • AAUP v. Admin Proposals
    • CREDO >
      • Admin's Prioritization Report
      • WCC Students Petition DellOmo
      • Dr. Sanjay G. Reddy Speaks to the Chapter
      • A Bargaining Unit Member's Guide to Credo Part 1
      • A Bargaining Unit Member's Guide to Credo Part 2
      • Rider AAUP Executive Committee Recommendations Concerning Credo Consulting
      • Administration Attempts to Bully AAUP Executive Committee
      • Save Rider Rally