Agenda Labor-Management Meeting
UUP Utica/Rome Chapter
3:30 PM October 28, 2014
257 Fuller Road/Albany Campus
Approval of the Minutes from April 1, 2014 Labor Management
1. (New Business) Full-time faculty extra-service teaching and teaching workload.
According to SUNY/HR Extra Service for Professional Staff Policy (Document Number:
8800, Effective Date: December 23, 1986):
The State University of New York Board of Trustees has established an extra service policy, which is applicable to performance of service beyond that normally required by the professional obligation as defined by the individual’s performance program. Extra service for professional staff of the University is defined in two ways:
1. Work performed by academic and professional staff in a “payroll agency” other than the “payroll agency” to which the employee is regularly assigned.
2. Work performed by academic and professional staff at their own campus that is different from or in addition to an individual’s professional obligations.
…The chancellor has delegated to the president of each campus the responsibility for action on individual requests for other than M/C employees.
In addition, according to a Sept 11, 2013 memorandum from Acting President Geer whose subject heading reads “Extra Service and Outside Employment” reiterates this definition and establishes this as the practice of the Institute.
At a workshop on recruitment held on the SUNY Polytechnic Institute campus in Utica on Tuesday, September 30, 2014, Terry Kremer, Assistant Vice President for Recruitment announced that full-time faculty who were teaching an extra course would no longer be able to receive extra service pay. The argument he presented indicated that extra service pay was only for duties that were “significantly different” than the duties already encompassed by one’s professional obligation which is in direct contradiction to the above mentioned SUNY policy.
In addition, COO Geer indicated that full-time faculty who were teaching an overload class would have his or her workload “rebalanced” to include the extra class as part of a now new workload. Historically, and as a matter of past practice, full-time academic faculty have carried a 12 credit teaching load that translates normally into three 4 credit classes. Whereas the faculty member’s responsibility also includes scholarship and service, this Institute historically has been a teaching university with primary emphasis on teaching that, in past practice, has dominated the faculty workload.
Discussions/Decisions: What is Management’s intent and rationale with respect to the issue of extra service pay for full-time faculty who are teaching an extra course? What is management’s intent and rationale with respect to “rebalancing” faculty teaching load?
2. (New Business) Part-time Academics Wage and Work Status (Full-time/Part-time).
A. Labor would like to increase the part-time faculty per credit hour base salary.
Part-time academic faculty now comprise about 47% of teaching faculty on the SUNY Polytechnic Institute with most if not all of these part-time faculty being based on the Utica Campus. Currently, there is a national movement underway to raise the base pay for a 3 credit course to 5k or $1,667/per credit hour. Currently, the base pay for part-time faculty at this Institute is set at $750/per credit hour or 3k per 4 credit course. A review of the SUNY campuses reveals that this Institute has one of the lowest per credit hour rates for our part-time faculty.
Discussions/Decisions: Increase of the base rate for part-time faculty.
B. Work status for part-time faculty?
i) Labor would like to increase the % of full-time status for each course taught by the Institute’s part-time faculty.
ii) Labor would like to assert the principle established in A-30 of the Agreement (p.105) that “the University shall instruct campuses to appoint part-time faculty to full-year appointments where they are in a position to do so.”
Currently, we have at least two part-time academic faculty members who are teaching four classes that are not considered full-time. Labor objects to the HR/Payroll designation of each class as 20% of full-time status for our part-time faculty.
Discussion/Decisions: Management’s views? % of time per class?
3. (New Business) Procedures for Request for Sabbatical.
SUNY Polytechnic Institute has no formal procedures in place to request a sabbatical. Labor would like to develop such a procedure.
According to Article 23.6 of the Agreement, “sabbatical leaves may be granted for planned travel, study, formal education, research, writing, or other experiences of professional value” (p.34). Those who have six consecutive years of service within the University are eligible and an application may be submitted to the College President at least six months in advance of the expected leave date.
Discussions/Decisions: What is Management’s view on sabbaticals? On Procedures? Designees? Timelines?
4. (New Business) Procedures for Request for Summer Salary.
There is no formal procedure to request summer salary. Labor would like to develop such a procedure.
According to SUNY/HR Extra Service for Professional Staff Policy (Document Number:
8800, Effective Date: December 23, 1986), “summer employment outside of the period of the academic year obligation does not constitute extra service. Compensation for such summer employment is covered by the University policy on Summer Session Appointment and Compensation Rates”.
According to a 2014 new full-time academic employment contract,
“You are aIso entitled to summer salary, typically generated through externally sponsored grants and contracts. In addition, at the sole discretion of the CEO and Officer-in-Charge, you would be entitled to a maximum of 20% of your yearly academic salary as extra-service that could be provided in recognition of achievements that go well above and beyond the typical needs and standard requirements of your faculty position.”
Decisions/Discussions: What is management’s view on summer salary? Procedures? Designees? Timeline?
5. (Old Business) On Call/Recall Ongoing Discussion
Labor would like to continue the conversation related to On Call/ Recall and its relationship to the issue of Comp time (Appendix A-29, p.104).
On Call/Recall: (Article 20 and Appendix A-16)
(Eligibility for On Call pay has been expanded to employees at all campuses. College Presidents have discretion to assign other specific positions as eligible for “on call” or “recall” pay. Such designation may be revised annually prior to a date as established by the College President.)
Information Needed:
Ongoing data collection on positions eligible for “on call” and “recall” pay either by contract, performance review, or practice. (Focus is primarily on IT and Dormitory titles.)
Update on SUNY system and UUP Statewide Progress on this Issue
Procedures for COMP time.
Discussion/Decisions Needed:
Comp time implementation? Next step? Date for annual determination?
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