The University of Oregon and United Academics today announced a major step forward in the implementation of the university’s first collective bargaining agreement.

The implementations teams completed the one-time reclassification of adjunct faculty.

According to the memo, the reclassification represents a collaboration “to design the process, while unit administrators and faculty in the schools and colleges worked tirelessly to complete the reviews, and the staff in Academic Affairs and Unclassified Personnel Services devoted many hours to processing the new classifications.”

 Joint Communication from the University of Oregon and United Academics:
One-time Reclassification of Adjunct Faculty Process Completed 29 April, 2014

Last week the University completed the reclassification process for more than 400 adjunct positions. Seventy-three percent of the reviewed positions were converted to Career Non-Tenure Track Faculty (NTTF) positions with the direct appointment of the incumbent NTTF to the newly reclassified positions. Those appointments are retroactive to the beginning of the 2013-14 academic year.

This reclassification process is a one-time initiative required by a Memorandum of Understanding appended to the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) between the University and United Academics (UA). It applied to all on-going positions held by adjunct faculty members in the UA bargaining unit who are employed in the 2013-14 academic year and who held the same position for all or part of the two academic years directly preceding this academic year or for any three academic years prior to this academic year.

The University and UA implementation teams worked collaboratively to design the process, while unit administrators and faculty in the schools and colleges worked tirelessly to complete the reviews, and the staff in Academic Affairs and Unclassified Personnel Services devoted many hours to processing the new classifications.

Completion of the reclassification process is a major step forward in the implementation of the first faculty CBA. This reclassification supports our shared objectives of providing greater job security and formal recognition for the many non-tenure track faculty working on behalf of the teaching and research mission at the UO.

More information on the one-time reclassification process is available on the Academic Affairs Implementation Resources, the University’s CBA Implementation website, and the United Academics website.