Newsletter (Archives)

Senator Brian Schatz Needs Your Help Today on an Urgent Issue Regarding our Students

Please demonstrate your support for the Campus Accountability and Safety Act today! Learning institutions are failing to acknowledge a sexual assault epidemic that is victimizing our students.  This is simply unacceptable: 41 percent of recently surveyed colleges and universities had not conducted a single investigation of sexual violence on their campus in the past FIVE years.  We can end sexual assault on campus.  The bipartisan Campus Accountability and Safety Act will help protect students from predators and hold institutions accountable for mishandling [...]

2015-03-10T12:48:39-10:00March 10, 2015|Frontpage, Legislative, Newsletter|

UHPA Names Kristeen Hanselman Executive Director

Kristeen Hanselman, who has served as Associate Executive Director of the University of Hawaii Professional Assembly (UHPA) since December 2007, has been promoted to Executive Director. UHPA represents nearly 4,000 faculty members at 10 campuses in the University of Hawaii system statewide. The UHPA board of directors unanimously voted in favor of her appointment at a board meeting this past weekend. The vote was taken after a nationwide search and candidate interviews that began in January 2015. Hanselman officially takes over as [...]

2015-03-09T20:08:39-10:00March 10, 2015|Frontpage, Newsletter, UHPA Organizational|

Meet Kris Hanselman, Our New UHPA Executive Director

Some of you may already know her as the one who defended you in your grievance case. She’s well acquainted with the challenges faculty face and has been a strong advocate when the terms of your contractual agreement have been ignored, the line has been crossed, and your rights as a faculty member were trampled. With a solid track record of faculty support, it seemed natural progression for Kris Hanselman to be named UHPA’s Executive Director. The UHPA board of directors [...]

2024-02-21T12:59:08-10:00March 10, 2015|Frontpage, Newsletter, UHPA Organizational|

UHPA Supports the Bike Lane on King Street; however. . .

If you plan to visit the UHPA office by way of King Street, please be cautious of the new bike lane on the mauka side of the street.  UHPA Executive Director J. N. Musto sends a cautionary letter to Mayor Caldwell in regards to the bike lane. Dear Mayor Caldwell, This letter is a follow-up to our conversation with respect to the impact of the new bike lane on King Street. The offices of UHPA are located off of Palm Drive which [...]

2015-03-12T11:45:16-10:00March 6, 2015|Frontpage, Newsletter|

UH-Hilo Faculty Evaluation Procedures

The University of Hawaii at Hilo and UHPA have come to an agreement (see signed document) to begin the process of renewing and updating the procedures for faculty evaluation of faculty performance at UH-Hilo. The first step will be to consult with faculty at an open forum to discuss the 5-Year Review Policy.  The date, time and location of the open forum has not yet been scheduled; however, we will provide that information to faculty once it is set.  In the meantime, we suggest that [...]

2015-03-06T13:14:20-10:00March 6, 2015|Frontpage, Newsletter|

2015 Island Flex Open Enrollment

The 2015 Island Flex Open Enrollment period is scheduled from March 9, 2015 through April 30, 2015. Island Flex is a flexible spending program that allows employees to pay for eligible health care and dependent care expenses with TAX FREE money. Employees currently enrolled in Island Flex will need to re-enroll during the open enrollment period to continue participating in the program. The state's third-party administrator will be conducting informational workshops throughout the state.  Employees are invited to attend and may use [...]

2015-03-05T09:38:00-10:00March 5, 2015|Frontpage, Newsletter, System Policy|

Bills to Watch at the Legislature as of 2/27/15

We're tracking hundreds of bills and highlighted some worth your time below. Links lead to UHPA submitted testimony. SUPPORT HB1509: A really good creative solution energy to management and sustainability which also helps rebuild UH's  declining infrastructure. SUPPORT SB1240 & SB1239: Represents a long-held UHPA position that the governor should have the responsibility to appoint BOR members and ensure they appropriately execute their responsibilities. SUPPORT SB638 & HD553: allows graduate assistants to collectively bargain. OPPOSE HB555: Creates uncesssary legislative overreach in micromanaging UH Faculty and [...]

2015-02-27T12:29:33-10:00February 27, 2015|Frontpage, Legislative, Newsletter|

Faculty Op-Ed: A Hard Knocks Education

By Robert Cooney, PhD As a young research professor, working within a university research unit in which faculty were fairly judged by their accomplishments and potential, I could not understand why in the world faculty needed a union. After all, didn’t academics believe in truth and honor above all else? Why would one even need a contract in such circumstances? Over the last 30 years I have learned and discovered a lot concerning the role of vitamins in health, epidemiology of cancer, [...]

Contract Update

Status of Our Two-Year Faculty Contract Our current contract will expire in June 2015.  The Hawaii State Legislature must approve our new, two-year contract in this legislative session. The session ends in early May, about a month before our current contract expires. Our new contract is scheduled to start July 2015 and continue through June 2017.   What’s at Stake? The agreement includes an across-the-board 4 percent increase for all UH faculty and lecturers on July 1, 2015 and another across-the-board 4 [...]

2015-02-27T09:43:59-10:00February 24, 2015|Frontpage, Legislative, Newsletter|
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