Now that our Spring sessions are over, it is time for us as instructors to think about how COVID has already affected how we teach - and how such factors as social distancing and 'dual modality' course designs will affect us for at least the Fall semester.
Join RAFO and your fellow teachers for a discussion about the nuts and bolts of teaching this Fall. While this talk can inform RAFO in our ongoing contract negotiations, our primary goal is to help you prepare for the Fall with practical ideas, as well as give all of us some much-needed perspective on how COVID has affected everyone.
Roosevelt University President Malekzadeh has announced some policy changes in response to the COVID-19 crisis. Click here for his message to the university.
Some key elements of the message include:
- All universities and higher education institutions have been impacted by Covid-19, including RU
- Roosevelt University must address the $4.7 million deficit
- Roosevelt University hopes to have a balanced budget in fiscal year 2021
In order to accomplish the above, the President Ali has announced the following decisions:
- A small percentage of full-time staff and administration positions have been eliminated
- Deans have been asked to cut 10% from their operating budgets
- A vast majority of employees will be furloughed 2-4 days per month through August 31
- Executive Council and Dean’s Council will experience a 5% decrease in salary through August 31
Read more: Roosevelt Policy Changes in Response to the Pandemic
Opportunities abound for adjunct faculty members to participate in university governance.
Put your talents to good use.
Adjunct faculty members are eligible for serve on the Faculty Senate and College Council in each college. Senate meets once a month; College Council meetings vary by College. Your voice and vote will count in these positions.
Learn more about being involved in RAFO and your college during a Zoom meeting on Friday, May 15 at 4:00 pm Central Time (US and Canada).
Join Zoom Meeting
https://roosevelt.zoom.us/j/96114909636
Meeting ID: 961 1490 9636
RAFO Executive Committee
Subcategories
Contracts
RAFO Members:
As lead negotiator for the 2020-2024 contract, I am pleased to announce that your negotiating team and Roosevelt University have come to an agreement. RAFO is extremely pleased with the final outcome and we believe you will be, too. The University was adamant on 0% for the first year, but as an offset for that 0%, we negotiated a signing bonus of $150 for each bargaining unit member that taught either in Spring 2020 or will teach in the upcoming Fall 2020 semester. That then takes us into the final three years of the contract where adjuncts will receive a 2% increase for each of those years.
As I hope you can see from the above, RAFO worked hard to ensure that you are rewarded for the professionalism and integrity all have shown during these unusual and trying times. We are attaching a copy of the final contract for you to review and eventually ratify. The areas that appear in green are changes that were made to the verbiage in the contract that will support RAFO during the upcoming 4 years. Appendix A reflects the 2% increase for each step in the final three years.
A link with the time will be sent next week for all to join this a zoom meeting, where we can answer your questions about the contract.
In closing, we hope you will be as excited as we are regarding the new contract.
In solidarity,
Don Wlodarski and the RAFO team:
Jen Wilson, Joseph Fedorko, Amelia Hicks, Stan Traywick, Mike Pinsoff and Dennis Tucker
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