Thank you to the many, many of you who attended the AAUP-UC townhall on Friday. It was the highest attended virtual town hall to date. It obviously demonstrates that faculty are aware of and apprehensive about SB #1.
Leadership at UC and across the state is activating. Look for more communications and calls to action. Below is a summary of the bill and more importantly links that you can use to contact the governor, the state legislature, and other action steps.
Powerpoint Presentation: town hall Jan 31 2025
Summary
What is new in SB 1 vs. SB 83?
- Strike ban
- Expanded bans on DEI (but no definition of DEI)
- Explicit funding threats if GA determines institutions failed to meet requirements (but no process for determination)
- Required “American civic literacy” course now includes focus on “American economy and capitalism” and requires Adam Smith’s Wealth of Nations
- New provision eliminating programs that don’t graduate more than 5 students annually over a three-year period
- Feasibility study for 3-year degree programs
SB 1 reprises the SB 83 attacks on faculty
- Prohibits collective bargaining over evaluations and retrenchment
- Ridiculously broad definition of retrenchment
- Imposes one-size-fits-all annual review process statewide
- Allows administrators to call for a “post-tenure review” – i.e., termination review – at any time beyond annual reviews.
- This effectively ends meaningful tenure protections
- Requires syllabi to be posted with faculty contact info, dates, and location
- Exposes faculty and students to harassment and physical danger
- “Intellectual diversity” language opens faculty to frivolous charges, and provides no due process protections
What are we doing to fight this?
- OCAAUP is engaged in legislative meetings
- Assisting legislative allies in prep for hearings
- Labor union coalition is with us
- Communications asking faculty members to contact legislators and Governor (links below)
- Preparing amendments to be offered
- We will keep you updated on opportunities
Helpful Links:
What Can You Do?
- Call Gov. DeWine’s Office, and your House and Senate Reps. Email is good, but calls are more effective.
- Talk to your friends, family, and community about why this is bad for Ohio
- Write an Op Ed or Letter to the Editor
- Stay engaged, and don’t give up!