HIGHLIGHTS

President Obama speaks on Higher Education and the Economy
On Monday, August 9, 2010 President Barack Obama gave a major address on Higher Education and the Economy.  The President laid out his program for higher education:  college affordability, ensuring that the education provided to students prepares them to graduate ready for a career, and making sure every student completes their course of studies.  The President state “we ought to make a significant investment” to help states emulate good models already being done by institutions.

Education Jobs
On Tuesday, August 10, 2010, Congress passed legislation establishing a $10 billion education jobs fund and extending funding for the federal match for Medicaid.  The President signed this legislation that evening.  Although NEA was unable to restore higher education jobs back into the package, this money will relieve pressure on strapped state budgets. The Department of Education estimates that the fund will save 161,000 teachers’ jobs.  In addition the legislation strengthened existing maintenance of effort requirements to protect public higher education.  Under the new law, For FY 2011, state support for public IHEs cannot be below either the FY 2009 level; the FY 2010 level as a percentage of the total revenues available to the state; or, where state collections in calendar 2009 were less than calendar 2006, the FY 2006 level -- either in dollars or as a percentage of the total revenues available to the state.

We still need our higher education members to share their stories with our Education Votes website, and build the case for further relief for higher education budgets.  Go to http://www.educationvotes.nea.org/2010/04/02/share-your-story-to-help-save-educators-jobs/ and follow the prompts.

Contingent Organizing Struggle
Earlier this year the United Adjunct Faculty Association of East West University filed a petition with the NLRB to form an adjunct faculty union affiliated with the Illinois Education Association.  The administration responded by informing all the adjuncts that they will not be rehired for the summer, and that full-time faculty will teach all summer courses.  In addition, adjuncts will only be rehired for the fall semester if they go through a private interview with the chancellor.  Faced with holding an election for a unit that had no members, UAFA withdrew its petition, with the intention of refilling in the fall.

At the request of IEA President Ken Swanson, NEA President Dennis Van Roekel wrote a letter protesting these actions to Dr. M. Wasiullah Khan, Chancellor of the university.  In addition, NCHE President Jim Rice wrote a letter to Professor Curtis Keyes, president of UAFA at East West University, pledging NCHE’s support.  NEA staff are working with the IEA to support their efforts on this situation.

Join the discussion

Political debates are raging at the federal and state levels around the questions of what level of funding is necessary for colleges and universities to adequately educate their students, develop knowledge, and play their proper role contributing to society.  NEA has long believed that investment in higher education pays back dividends to both the individual and society at large.  NEA’s Chief Economist Richard Sims recently responded to some conservative arguments against higher education with his thoughts, which you can check out by joining our group discussion site for Higher Education Faculty and Staff. Read Richard’s comments and give us your thoughts on this discussion.

ANNOUNCING "Journal of Collective Bargaining in the Academy"
A new online peer-reviewed journal to advance research and scholarly thought in academic collective bargaining, and make relevant and pragmatic peer-reviewed research accessible to practitioners and to scholars in the field.

Accepting and publishing relevant manuscripts of scholarly inquiry, opinion and thoughtful reflection and notes from the field.

To submit a manuscript, see the journal webpage: www.library.eiu.edu/NCSCBHEP/Journal/ .

The Journal of Collective Bargaining in the Academy is a publication of the National Center for the Study of Collective Bargaining in Higher Education and the Professions, is supported in part by a generous contribution from TIAA-CREF, and is hosted by Booth Library, Eastern Illinois University.