Kent State University is pleased to announce that the administration has reached a tentative agreement on a new contract with the Kent State Chapter of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP-KSU). The agreement, reached June 4, is consistent with the Determination contained in the Fact Finder’s Report presented by Barton Bixenstine, detailed in the May 20, 2019 Management Update.
AAUP-KSU membership held a ratification vote on the tentative agreement from June 5 through June 9. The university also is in the process of scheduling a Special Meeting of the University Board of Trustees to consider ratification of the new collective bargaining agreement. We will provide further updates on the board meeting and the AAUP vote as details develop.
We are grateful to both negotiating teams for their dedicated effort in reaching a mutual agreement in alignment with our university values and commitment to our faculty. We extend special thanks to the members of our Kent State Collective Bargaining and Fact-Finding team who have devoted substantial time and commitment to this endeavor:
- Jack Witt, vice president for Human Resources
- Sue Averill, associate provost, Faculty Affairs
- Amoaba Gooden Ph.D., chair of Pan-African Studies
- Ken Burhanna, dean of University Libraries
- Angela Spalsbury Ph.D., dean of Kent State at Geauga and the Regional Academic Center
- David Ochmann, associate vice president and deputy general counsel
- Jeannie Reifsnyder, senior associate vice president for Finance & Administration
- Jim Wilkins, special counsel
- Amanda Smith, special counsel
We thank all of you for your contributions and support in making Kent State a great place to work, learn and innovate. Best wishes for a rejuvenating summer!