UFE Business

MOU: 2-year Contract Extension

Posted on Author Julie Levin Russo

The United Faculty of Evergreen and The Evergreen State College management reached a two-year tentative agreement after a lengthy negotiation over hard issues that are grounded in increasing student recruitment and retention. This MOU gives faculty agency to recruit students, avoid an immediate RIF procedure and shape curricular areas/academic units through CAT leaders’ involvement in CRT. The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) addresses issues fundamental to the continued success of the College and its faculty:

  • current low student enrollment
  • college reorganization and a new reduction-in-force procedure
  • faculty participation in increasing student enrollment to avoid reduction-in-force
  • faculty agency in reviewing student curricular needs
  • Evergreen’s mission of interdisciplinary instruction and serving underrepresented communities and students
  • making salaries whole at current levels for the next two years

Voting closed on the TA on the 2-year MOU at 5pm on November 16. The UFE Membership ratified this MOU by voting 70 in favor and 22 opposed. Voter turnout was 89%. The Board of Trustees voted to ratify the MOU between the United Faculty of Evergreen and the College on November 17. 

We are proud that we have protected all faculty jobs and made salaries whole for the duration of this two-year agreement. We look forward to beginning the faculty recruitment efforts, which include UFE members and non-members, to raise student enrollments. We also feel hopeful that both voluntary resignations and retirements and the faculty recruitment effort, while a lofty goal, can prevent or reduce any reductions that might be necessary after Spring 2023. 

The College and UFE will now move forward with implementation, including convening the Curricular Review Team to begin assessment of academic units. The College and UFE will monitor the implementation of this MOU through the labor-management process and its monthly meetings. The UFE will also begin facilitating the faculty recruitment effort. Please stay tuned for more announcements in the coming weeks.

You can download this Digest as a separate document. 

You can download the signed MOU as a separate document. 

MOU Core Issues
Central MOU Issue: Increase Student Recruitment and Retention

College Priorities: College Reorganization and New Reduction-in-Force Procedure. Read MOU recital and attend College President meeting on November 10.

  • College Reorganization goals: To increase student enrollment. Reality of low student enrollment leading to 25 faculty lines potentially being cut.
  • New Reduction-in-Force (RIF) procedure as a consequence of College Management reorganization decisions.

UFE Priorities: Avoid Layoffs, Recruit Students, Protect Salaries, and Ensure Faculty Agency in Reviewing Curriculum and Academic Structures

  • Faculty roles in recruiting and retaining students to avoid a RIF.
  • Academic Units: Faculty agency to review and recommend Academic Units based on current academic structures. Review based on student need and demand, College mission of interdisciplinary studies and serving unserved communities and students.
  • Faculty salaries remain whole for two years.

MOU Description Recitals: College Reason for Reorganization and New RIF

Sections 1, 2, 3 and 17: Faculty work in Student Recruitment and Retention

1, 2 and 3. Faculty Participation in Student Recruitment

17. Teaching Above Full-Time Employment (Overload) to support student retention in curricular areas of higher demand while retaining current faculty expertise.

Section 4,5, and 6: Faculty work in Revising College Organizational Structures and Evaluation of Student Demand and College Needs

4, 5. Curricular Review Team (CRT) (CAT leaders and Deans/Vice Provost) Faculty involved in reviewing current academic structures with agency to recommend revisions. Provost receives CRT proposals; makes final decisions with public rationale if differing from CRT proposals. Fall 21/Winter 22.

6. CRT rank academic units based on student demand and contribution to mission of interdisciplinary instruction and serving underserved communities.

Sections 7 and 8: Potential Reduction in Force

7. By Feb 1, 2023, Projected enrollment growth of 500 student FTE for Fall 2023 and potential decision to RIF. If projected 500 student FTE is met, no layoffs. If not met, layoffs possible.

8. Proportional student FTEs, faculty retirements and potential new funds included in final RIF decisions in 2023. College to determine whether to offer voluntary buy-out spring quarter 2022.

Sections 9, 10, 11, 12, 13: RIF Procedure

9 and 10. Language from current RIF.

11. Rescission of Leaves, Reduction of Adjunct Faculty/Termination of Post-Retirement Contracts

  • a. Termination of all Post-Retirement Contracts campus-wide (to preserve regular faculty positions)
  • b. Termination of adjunct contacts based on academic unit curricular needs. Some adjuncts in some academic units may continue working even though some regular faculty positions in other academic units may be terminated (to support student retention in specific areas of the curriculum)

12. Reduction of Regular Faculty. (No rotating furlough; no singular, large Regular faculty RIF list).

  • a. Based on Academic Unit determined by Provost following process described in 4 and 5 and CRT recommendation in 6.
  • b. Identified academic unit, adjuncts terminated before regular faculty. Term faculty in order of seniority, continuing faculty in order of seniority.
  • c. Transfer provision for regular faculty.
  • d. Layoff notice provision of one quarter (same as current CBA); hearing and appeal process to Provost.

13. Reemployment process. Same as current CBA.

Section 16: CAT Leader Summer Compensation – new provision to compensate CAT leaders .25 FTE for summer work.

Section 18: Salary

Faculty will be compensated according to the Aug. 31, 2020 Salary grid, and step increases will continue. No furlough or reduction in pay for 2021-2022 and 2022-2023. Any additional legislative funds for faculty salary will be negotiated.

Duration: Two years. Expires August 31, 2023. All other parts of CBA remain in effect.

UFE Bargaining Team
Jon Davies, (Bargaining Team Chair)
Shawn Hazboun (UFE Chair)
Brad Proctor
Grace Huerta
Laurie Meeker
Gary McNeil (UFWS/WEA Higher Education Organizer)