Category: eBulletins

Adjunct Constituency Council Special Election Nominations

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The Adjunct Constituency Council (ACC) is seeking nominations and self-nominations for upcoming vacant position(s) on the council, which is the representative body for Adjuncts in our union.  Any active adjunct TAUP member is welcome to run for this position. (Active in this case means an adjunct who is not in their first semester teaching at Temple and who has not had a break of more than one semester in teaching.)
 
However, since our bylaws limit the number of representatives from any one college and since  we already have excellent representation on the ACC from the College of Liberal Arts, we are seeking candidates from other schools, especially Fox, Klein, and CST.
 
The ACC is the representative body for adjuncts in our union. We work to ensure that adjuncts’ issues and concerns are appropriately addressed in our union and specifically in the next period, in contract negotiations coming up in 2019.
 
Candidates should be available for a monthly meeting on campus, and to take on a dedicated role to be determined, with expectation of regular communication over email and on google docs between meetings.
 
New ACC members will also be strongly encouraged to take part in building our union membership through conversations with colleagues in their classrooms, offices, and at tabling events. 
No prior experience or union leadership is necessary, just a willingness to contribute your skills and a desire to strengthen our union!
 
Nominations and Self-Nominations should be sent by Monday, September 24th, to Zoe Cohen ACC Chair, at zoeart@gmail.com. Please include name, school, department, and a short paragraph explaining why you want to run for the ACC and what you feel you would bring to our union leadership structure.

 

What Do You Want?

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Everyone thinks about things that they’d like to change in their work environment. We all want to be able to perform our best as we interact with students, focus on research, or serve our areas, programs, departments and schools.

The Union can’t negotiate over everything, but there is much that we can do, and have done, to improve working conditions, job security, compensation and more. Many of these things seem so normal they’re taken them for granted. Everything that TAUP members have, they deserve and have earned. But without the Union, the fact that you deserve something would not necessarily mean the University would grant it.

It is only through our collective bargaining that we have the salaries, benefits, degrees of job security, and the support for our work that we have. If you want to consider how faculty would be treated without a union, remember the treatment of adjuncts before unionization. Remember that there used to be a 6 year cut off for NTTs, where they wouldn’t be rehired beyond that point if they hadn’t acquired a TT position. Remember when sabbaticals for tenure-track faculty weren’t guaranteed every seven years and at 65% of salary for a full-year’s leave, and new fathers and mothers couldn’t get a semester’s leave from teaching?

The fact is, as they say: “You will not get what you deserve. You will get what you negotiate.”

In spring of 2019 we’ll be back in negotiations together. There’s a lot to do between now and then. One of the most important things is for members communicate and commit to changing issues that are of great importance.

Last semester, TAUP President Steve Newman and Vice President Jennie Shanker began attending departmental faculty meetings to gain a greater understanding of how the Union can make a difference. Every department needs to engage in these discussions, and can do so by contacting the TAUP office.

When we get to the table in the spring, to do well, we need strong connections to every department in the TAUP bargaining unit. We can create significant change together. Reach out, connect and commit to being a part of the collective force that will working towards change in the 2019 negotiations.

Help Our Students, Your Children, and Yourselves through TAUP: The Fast Fund for Students in Need, The Hochner Travel Fund, and Scholarship for Children of Members

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See below for these important opportunities, and please let us know if you’d be interested in helping on these initiatives–raising funds, reviewing applications, etc.  at taupaft@gmail.com.

TAUP FAST Fund for Temple Students in Need

When students face challenges securing food and/or housing, it can be difficult to learn. Last year, TAUP was designated by Prof. Sara Goldrick-Rab (College of Education) as the administrator of the Faculty and Students Together (FAST) Fund at Temple, designed to help students in need.  The Fund provides rapid assistance to students whose attendance at Temple is threatened by financial emergencies such as overdue rent, car repairs, or insufficient funds for food.  For more on how the FAST Fund works and how you can refer students for assistance, click here.

Donations

Prof. Goldrick-Rab’s founding gift was very generous, but your support is needed to supplement it as we continue to administer funds to student applicants. Please consider a tax-deductible donation here.


The Art Hochner Travel Fund

TAUP founded the Art Hochner Award for Non-Tenure Track Instructors in 2017 in honor of our previous president, with the purpose of annually financing travel expenses for up to $500 each for two TAUP members in good standing, one NTT and one adjunct.

Many NTTs and adjuncts are active in research into pedagogy, as well as subject matter. However, funds to support travel related to research are often not available to them.  The ART HOCHNER Travel Award will be dedicated to support these faculty members in their research endeavors.

Who can apply?

Current NTT and adjunct instructors who are members who have traveled to  professional conferences from 6/30/2017 to 6/30/2019, but did not received travel funds or received only partial reimbursement.

Application Process

A letter soliciting the fund should be sent to taupaft@gmail.com. It should describe the circumstances and purpose of travel, and its associated costs. Travel receipts and documented participation should be included..

Applications are due September 30th.  Decisions will be made by the end of October.

Donations

To donate to the Travel Award, please contact taupaft@gmail.com.  The funds collected are used exclusively for the Travel Award. In addition, all contributions are tax deductible.

 

Scholarship for Children of Union Members

TAUP founded its Scholarship Fund for Children of Union Members in 2011 with the purpose of annually financing a low income/ high performance student, who comes from a union family with an award of $500 to help with tuition expenses.

Who can apply?

Current undergraduate Temple University students with a GPA of 3.0, who are children of a Union household can apply.

Application Process

A letter soliciting the scholarship should be sent to taupaft@gmail.com. It should explain the student’s difficulty and ascertain their family union membership. The student will request a letter of recommendation from one of their professors as to their character and dedication. Letters of recommendation should be sent directly to TAUP from the author (not given to the student).  Tuition receipts and GPA documentation should be included. Applications are due September 30th.

Donations

To donate to the Scholarship Fund,  please contact taupaft@gmail.com. The funds collected are used exclusively for the Scholarship Fund. In addition, all contributions are tax deductible.