In bargaining today. That’s a nominal bird flip, in real dollars economists refer to it as a fuck you.
Zoom into the sessions here. Union is telling the admin team to go back to their imagineers and thought leaders and think again. “Oregon Rising” for JH administrators, Oregon Falling for the faculty.
Scholz’s team is refusing to schedule winter bargaining sessions because they don’t like it when Keaton bullies them in public with numbers and PowerPoints showing that the percentage of the budget going to faculty pay is falling. Wants to do the bargaining behind closed doors to keep us ignorant.
Or maybe he just doesn’t care if his university thinks that he doesn’t. In any case his student interviewer has one, and she makes him look like the terrified brainwashed victim of his PR flack masters. Link here.
And unlike the UO faculty will have to do, they didn’t even strike. From the RG. Note that these 5% COLA raises are on top of the regular step increases teachers get, which if I understand correctly average 2.75% per year, plus other raises for getting a Masters degree, etc.…
I confess I was not a fan of being harassed on my morning walks to Roma. But one day I was taking a visiting speaker for coffee – my grandfather advisor Ted Bergstrom – when Frog interrupted us to ask Ted if he’d ever read the world’s funniest joke books.…
Thanks to a reader for the news. Apparently this has gone viral. There’s a story in the Daily Emerald here:
According to Director of Issues Management and University of Oregon Spokesperson Angela Seydel, the university found Serrato’s statementsin his Instagram video “abhorrent and not in alignment with our values or mission.”
Seydel also said that Serrato has been placed on “administrative leave” and an investigation has been opened.
Administrative leave means that Serrato is taking paid time off, pending a university investigation.
In the post, Serrato said to followers, which included some UO students, to “go f— yourself if you voted for Donald Trump.”
Serrato concluded his story, saying “I hope you go jump off of a f—ing bridge,” with a peace sign.
Seydel said that the university has opened an investigation into the matter and are reviewing it under “university policies and the individual’s role as a public employee.”
According to Seydel, while the university is investigating, they will be providing “support for concerned students and employees, including resources for mental and emotional health.”
That last part seems a bit Orwellian to me. What would the appropriate response be? Perhaps President Scholz should look to Shakespeare:
“We consider it was excess of wine that set him off. … If little faults proceeding on distemper shall not be winked at then …”
For himself not the faculty, of course. Given Scholz’s intransigence in negotiating with the faculty union – the only movement from his Spring proposal of 3% merit pools for 3 years has been to convert the first year to 3% ATB – it’s worth taking a look at the contract…
“… the event is a must-attend for anyone looking to contribute positively to our workplace environment…”
Dear colleagues,
We are excited to invite you to an inspiring event, “Courageous Civility with Shola Richards,” on Thursday, November 7, 2024, from 2:00 pm to 3:00 pm at the EMU Ballroom. Doors will open at 1:30 pm.
Join us for a keynote presentation by Richards, a leading expert in workplace civility, equity, and inclusion. Richards is a dynamic and inspiring speaker, and the event is a must-attend for anyone looking to contribute positively to our workplace environment.
This event is open and free to all faculty and staff and the first 200 registrants will receive a complimentary copy of Richard’s new book, Civil Unity.
From the faculty union: Thank you to all (200+) people who showed up at the last bargaining session. As you heard, the administration is more concerned with talking about bulletin boards than with our salary proposal. Eventually the administration is going to have to actually bargain over salary, and we…
It’s been 10 years since Espy left UO. Many of those who had to deal with her have moved on or retired – but they still haven’t forgotten. Thanks to a reader for passing on the latest trail droppings, now 6 months or so old. Just two months after her…
The Daily Emerald’s Corey Hoffman has a good report on enrollment, here: … According to the Board of Trustees meeting minutes from Sept. 16 and 17, 2,984 out-of-state students were projected to enroll in 2024. The actual enrollment was 2,536 students. Although the out-of-state numbers are significantly lower than the…
On faculty pay relative to the cost of living, that is. From the AAUP, here. Average salaries for full profs are $24K higher, 6K higher for associates and assistants: And the cost of living is 20% lower. Housing is 50% lower. Comparison is for a $100K salary in Eugene, from…
Back in 1972, when I was 13, I heard about a similar event sponsored by the UVa engineering school. Every lab had an open house – wind tunnels, oscilloscopes, soil liquefaction, CNC machining with paper tapes. I still remember it all. My parents weren’t interested so I got to go by myself. I spent the next year going into the labs after school and driving the grad students crazy with dumb questions. I have no idea who runs this at UO but thank you!
The UO SPICE Science Open House is tomorrow (Wednesday October 9th, 6:30-8:30pm, Willamette Hall Atrium). Each year we welcome hundreds of children and community members to come explore hands-on science with SPICE, campus groups, and community partners. We would love for you to join us. Please find our flyer attached. The event is free to the public.
Letter to campus from President Scholz and his PR flacks here:
Dear colleagues,
At the University of Oregon, we share a commitment to seek truth and advance knowledge, both for its own sake and to enrich the human condition. The academic freedom to develop effective practices of pedagogy, pursue research wherever it leads, and share the knowledge discovered is the fundamental principle that brings this commitment to life.
We are steadfast in upholding and affirming academic freedom at the UO, which is protected through policies approved of by the UO Senate.
Daily Emerald report on what happened when people pushed him on what he meant here:
The protestors marched to Johnson Hall where Smith, Urbancic, O’Neal and Tuten attempted to make the delivery to President Scholz, but Mark Schmelz, chief human resources and vice president, “intercepted,” according to O’Neal.
… “These measures include but are not limited to the University’s requests that students report their instructors’ political course content and targeting peaceful student protests using video recordings from the Board of Trustees public meetings. The CLC interprets these measures as threats to free speech on campus and the practice of academic freedom for educators at UO,” the media advisory said.
The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education gives UO a yellow rating for Free Speech, noting:
University of Oregon has been given the speech code rating Yellow. Yellow light colleges and universities are those institutions with at least one ambiguous policy that too easily encourages administrative abuse and arbitrary application.
