November 2007 Board Notes

A summary of the November 10, 2007 University of Hawaii Professional Assembly Board of Director's meeting.

NEA HIGHER EDUCATION DIRECTOR’S REPORT  

Information and application announcement for the NEA Emerging Leadership Academy (ELA) will be online after November 20.  Individuals will have to February 20th to submit their application.  Applications will be reviewed at the Higher Ed Conference and candidates, who are promising, will be invited to the academy for an interview.  Final selections will be made in April with the first session held the last week of May and through the first weekend in June.  Directors Ruth Horie, Richard Nettell and Karla Hayashi are graduates of the ELA. 

NEA’s 26^th Annual Higher Education Conference will be held from March 28 to 30, 2008 at the Hilton Washington in Washington, DC.  Some of the issues covered will include academic freedom, salaries and benefits, collective bargaining, college access and affordability, and higher education funding.  It will be a joint conference with higher education colleagues from the American Federation of Teachers.  For further information and how to register go to http://www2.nea.org/he/conf.html. 

PRESIDENT’S REPORT

• President Joseph Chernisky reported that UHPA has either consulted or discussed issues relating to proposed changes to the Board of Regents’ policies, tenure, timely pay for new hires and lecturers, faculty evaluation, sustainability, classification, summer workload, SLO directives, etc.
• UHPA members in the Community Colleges were sent a survey concerning the Community College Faculty Classification Plan.  The Board of Regents will be considering the final document at its meeting on November 15, 2007.
• President Chernisky along with Vice President Adrienne Valdez, Directors Joshua Cooper, Ruth Horie, and Sally Pestana attended the Hawaii State AFL-CIO Biennial Convention on October 26.  The Hawaii State AFL-CIO has indicated its commitment to higher education, and of the several resolutions approved, the resolution from UHPA’s Executive Committee in support of Civil Unions in Hawaii passed.  Additionally, labor leaders retiring at the end of 2007 were recognized for their accomplishments and years of dedication to the labor movement.  Of these known to UHPA are Joan Husted, Executive Director of the Hawaii State Teachers Association (HSTA), and Russell Okata, Executive Director of the Hawaii Government Employees Association (HGEA).
• As was reported last month, leaders from UHPA attended the NEA Creating Strong Affiliates Conference in early November.  The information learned will be discussed with the Executive Committee.

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S REPORT

• Executive Director J. N. Musto reported that he was attending the retirement luncheon for Joan Husted, Executive Director of the Hawaii State Teachers Union (HSTA).  Ms. Husted retires at the end of this year.
• Attorney Jeff Piper will meet with Directors in December to fully discuss the proposed Articles of Incorporation and By-Laws for UHPA to be in compliance with the State of Hawaii’s not-for-profit corporate laws.  The Board will make a decision in January as to whether the document could be recommended to the membership.
• Executive Director Musto will attend the UH Board of Regents’ November 15 meeting in Maui.  On their agenda are two specific issues that UHPA is concerned about.  There is a proposed amendment to BOR Policy 9, Section 9-1a(3) Department Chairs and Section 9.1a(4) Special Program Directors and Chairs of Academic Divisions.  UHPA had an initial consultation meeting with UH administrators wherein concerns were raised.  Although UHPA leaders were informed they would receive another version of the proposal, the revised document was never received.  It, however, is now on the Board of Regents’ agenda.  Directors passed a motion with one abstention to authorize the Executive Director file a complaint with the Hawaii Labor Relations Board indicating that the University did not complete consultation on the proposed amendment to BOR Policy 9, Section 9-1a(3) and (4).
• The second issue on the BOR agenda for consideration is the approval of revisions to the UH Community Colleges Faculty Classification Plan.  It was indicated that there are no entry exams per se for Community Colleges and many students who enroll in the Community Colleges require remedial courses or may not exactly meet postsecondary course expectations.  For those instructors, who teach at the lower course levels, the proposed revisions would make it difficult for them as there is a high percentage of student dropouts.  Directors passed a motion with four abstentions to authorize the Executive Director to convey to the Board of Regents UHPA’s opposition to the adoption of the proposed amended UH Community Colleges Faculty Classification Plan.
• Directors were informed that UHPA received a proposal that would authorize the University President to grant tenure upon initial appointment to members of the faculty and classified executives eligible for faculty appointments according to established guidelines.  Discussion indicated that the Board of Regents has never delegated its authority to anyone regarding tenure.  The Manoa Faculty Senate had reviewed the proposal and recommended language included for the granting of promotion and/or tenure, which state they subject to the approval of the Department Personnel Committee (DPC) and Tenure Promotion Review Committee (TPRC).  Their recommendation, however, has been ignored.  There have been and are highly qualified tenured individuals from other institutions who may be interested in teaching at the University, but due to the one-year tenure requirement, it has become difficult to hire them.  There was much concern that the proposed policy includes the granting of tenure to executives and the effects on the departments/campuses to create a position for that individual.  Directors felt that the responsibility of finding funds for the executive person who moves back into a faculty position ought to be that of the UH System’s office.  Directors passed a motion that the UHPA Board of Directors opposes the proposed revision to Board of Regents Policy 9-1, Personnel Status, Subsection b., Faculty Promotion and Tenure unless the language referring to classified executives is removed and that there is a process that includes the review and approval by Department Personnel Committees and Tenure Promotion Review Committees.

EXECUTIVE SESSION

Directors met in executive session to consider two grievance cases.  Directors unanimously passed the motion to appeal the suspension grievance cases of a UH-Manoa faculty member to arbitration.

Associate Executive Director Jim Kardash updated Directors on the status of tenure cases that were appealed to Hearing Officers.  He also reported that last semester there were 98 applications for tenure or tenure/promotion, 110 applications for promotion, 16 promotion/tenure applications that were denied, and 14 tenure applications that were denied.  This semester, there were 106 applications for tenure or tenure/promotion and 105 applications for promotion.

TREASURER’S REPORT

Treasurer Ming-BaoYue reported that on the different transactions that have affected the financial operations of UHPA.  As of September 30, 120 UHPA members have indicated their objection to the $5 dues to the PAC Fund.  As of October 31, the count increased to 138.  Additionally, UHPA has rebated $7,223.69 to 57 non-members.  Directors passed a motion to receive the Treasurer’s report and to refer it to the Finance Committee.

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

Directors briefly reviewed the proposed Articles of Incorporation and By-Laws.  Some questions were raised.  Directors were informed that they could email the Executive Director if they had minor editorial corrections.

In the absence of Chair Sally Pestana, the Executive Committee requested the Board’s confirmation of members of the Personnel Committee.  Directors unanimously passed the motion to confirm the appointments of Charles Weems (UH-Manoa) and Adrienne Valdez (UH-West Oahu) as members of the Personnel Committee.

NOMINATIONS & ELECTIONS COMMITTEE

Vice President Adrienne Valdez, who also chairs the Nominations and Elections Committee, expressed her appreciation to Directors Brenda Cartwright, Nandita Sharma, and Ming-Bao Yue for their asserted efforts in getting new UHPA members as well as filling Faculty Representative positions.

She reported the results of the special election for the UH-Manoa constituency for Arts and Humanities, Library & Information Science Program, Outreach College, and Library Services.  Paulette Feeney’s election as the Director for that constituency has been confirmed.  Her two-year term begins immediately and expires on August 31, 2009.

The Nominations and Elections Committee requested confirmation of new Faculty Representatives.  Directors unanimously passed a motion to confirm the appointments of Jason Willome (PAU 044), Stephen Jacques (PAU 052), Brian Szuster (PAU 055), Aurelio Agcaoili (PAU 059), Paul Lassettre (PAU 061), Nathan Murata (PAU 082), Barbara Landau (PAU 084), Garnett Smith (PAU 085), and Belinda Aquino (PAU 107).  Since the Membership Drive began on October 6, there are almost 100 new members.

NEW BUSINESS

Directors unanimously passed a motion to confirm the appointments of Robert Paull (UH-Manoa), L. Thomas Ramsey (UH-Manoa), Dennis Vanairsdale (Kapiolani CC), and Lynne Wilkens (UH-Manoa) as members of the Finance Committee.

Directors unanimously passed a motion to confirm the appointments of Joel Fischer (UH-Manoa), Susan Hippensteele (UH-Manoa), Earl Nakahara (Honolulu CC), and John Wendell (UH-Manoa) as members of the Grievance Committee.

Directors unanimously passed a motion to establish the Ad Hoc Women’s Committee and to confirm the appointments of Brenda Cartwright (UH-Manoa) and Nandita Sharma (UH-Manoa) as its Co-Chairs.  The goals of the UHPA Women’s Committee include:  Œeducate faculty about the union, empower individuals in the workplace, Žstrengthen ties with other unions, and address gender and family issues.

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