The COVID crisis has resulted in significant disruption to the fundamental work of teaching, research and service that Faculty perform, including the emergency shift to all online remote classes for the remainder of Spring Semester 2020, and the cancellation or significant reduction of most travel, service, and scholarly activities.
Over the past two weeks, UC Faculty have raised concerns about the impact of the crisis on Student Teaching Evaluations and Reappointment, Promotion and Tenure. Thus, I am writing on behalf of the AAUP-UC Executive Council with an important message regarding a Memorandum of Understanding that we were able to secure with the University of Cincinnati. The AAUP heard the concerns of Faculty and worked as quickly as possible under the circumstances to achieve a resolution with the UC Administration. We are grateful to how seriously the University took these concerns, and the speed at which they were addressed.
The full Memorandum reached with the University is attached. It provides for the ability of Faculty Members to limit or eliminate the use of Academic Year 2019–2020 Spring and Summer Semester Student Teaching Evaluations for RPT purposes. With a limited exception, the Memorandum also allows any current AAUP-UC Bargaining Unit Faculty Member (both tenure track and off-tenure track) who is eligible to apply for reappointment or tenure in Academic Year 2020–2021 or after to opt in to a one year extension of his/her appointment term and tenure probationary period.
Faculty wishing to opt in to the one year extension must notify the Office of Faculty Affairs and Academic Personnel by email (acadpers@ucmail.uc.edu) no later than June 30, 2020, and copy the Dean, Academic Unit Head (if applicable) and AAUP-UC Chapter (aaupuc1@ucmail.uc.edu).
We hope that this helps to alleviate some of the stresses facing Faculty at the present moment. Please let us know if you have any questions.
AAUP-UC Executive Council