This article consists of the exact summary the Oakland University Chapter of American University Professors (OU AAUP) released to its members at approximately 1:30 p.m. Sunday Sept. 5 detailing the tentative contract agreement reached between university administration and the OU AAUP. More coverage will follow.

“Below is a summary of the key points of the new Tentative Agreement. It is a three-year agreement which would expire August 14, 2024. 

Salary 

Full time Salary 

year 1: 1.25% merit pool + $500 bonus 

year 2: 1.85% merit pool 

year 3: 2.00% merit pool 

Salary for Special Lecturers 

minimum is raised at the same rate as full time (See below for annual bonuses.) 

Paid Parental Leave 

Full time Faculty will have up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave (during the academic year) upon the birth, adoption, or fostering of a child. 

Summer Teaching 

Formula for full time faculty is the same except the max amount is capped at $11,000 for a four credit course. 

Health Insurance 

• Employer contribution for full-time, as a percentage of the premium for the lowest cost option, will be 

o 95% for calendar year 2022 

o 95% for calendar year 2023 

o 90% starting January 1, 2024 

• Employer contribution for Special Lecturers remains the same.
• LOA on Formularies: a committee consisting of two members from Association and two from Oakland will review prescription drug coverage formularies to choose either a closed formulary plan or open formularies with higher rates for some drugs. 

Retirement 

• Employer contribution schedule for existing full-time faculty will remain the same. 
• Employer contribution schedule for faculty hired after Sept, 1, 2021 will be 11% starting after their first year of service. 
• Special Lecturers who teach at least 16 credits over fall, winter, and the prior summer will receive a $500 stipend that can be used pre-tax for retirement or health insurance, or be taken as cash. 
• The available plans will be chosen by the fiduciary advised by an Investment Committee. The Association will appoint one non-voting member to the Investment Committee. 

Faculty Tuition Benefit 

• The contribution for dependents remains at 10% of the cost of undergraduate tuition. There are restrictions: can only be used for regularly admitted students degree-seeking or certificate programs or guest students; can be used once for repeating a course. 
• Tuition benefit for Special Lecturers increases from 10 to 12 credits. 

Removal From Campus 

A process is created for when Oakland removes a faculty member from campus, in order to provide due process. 

Special Lecturer Contracts 

After eight years of service, special lecturers will now receive 3-year contracts. 

Layoff and Recall 

The procedures to follow when layoffs are initiated remain intact, but there are changes to circumstances in which they may be initiated. Language is added to indicate that the employer shall seek to use attrition to remedy an overstaffing before initiating layoffs. Layoffs may be initiated in response to a severe financial exigency of two years (which

may not begin prior to Fall 2021) or in response to isolated enrollment declines for a period of four years. Position shift layoff is eliminated from the Agreement. Faculty on layoff will retain their oakland.edu email and electronic access to personnel records and the course management system. 

Joint Appointments 

The new Agreement has language to enable joint appointments which upon initiation will have clear division of responsibilities between primary and secondary units and a clear process for review. 

Review of Workload Policies 

A process for review of workload policies, whether initiated by Oakland or the unit, is established with a schedule of deadlines for responses by both academic unit and the administration. However, in the end the Provost cannot unilaterally impose a workload policy on a unit. 

Other 

• The number of credit courses a graduate student may teach is changed from 4 to 6, subject to department and dean approval. 
• Special Instructors can be hired with up to three years of credit for prior professional experience. 
• The list of arbitrators for tenure grievances is updated with increased diversity. ● Gendered Language has been removed from the entire agreement and non-discrimation language in the Guarantee of Rights has been expanded. 

No Penalty for Work Stoppage 

In exchange for no docking of pay or termination for striking, Oakland will issue a joint statement entitled “Joint Statement to “Jump-Start” the 2021-22 Academic Year””