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Provost Report

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE   December 13, 2002

NTT Union Responds to Provost's Committee Report

Applauds Committee's Efforts, Questions Effectiveness of Yet Another Report

NORMAL -  A committee charged with studying nontenure track faculty was scheduled to submit its report to the provost today.  The Nontenure Track Faculty Association-IEA/NEA applauded the committee's efforts but questioned whether the report will lead to any meaningful changes in employment for NTT faculty.

"The committee put in a lot of effort to get this done in a semester and we thank them for their time and effort," said Patrick Francken, an Instructional Assistant Professor in the Philosophy Department.  "But a different committee did the same thing in 1996, and the administration brushed off the committee's top priorities.  We haven't seen any evidence that this report will be treated differently."

The association, which is seeking union recognition, wants to negotiate a contract with the university to implement the changes that NTT faculty need.  Some of the changes sought by the NTT Faculty Associaiton include equitable pay, timely notification of employment, a grievance procedure that protects employee rights, and multiple-year contracts.  The association set those priorities after surveying nontenure track faculty in Spring 2002.

"We understand that this group of administrators is different from the group that was around when the last report was done," continued Francken, "but the provost who led this committee won't be the provost in the Spring, and there's no telling whos' going to be running the university even one year from now.  We need to take the power and bear the responsibility for one another as NTTs.  Waiting for administrators to take care of us doesn't make sense."

The provost's committee's report will be submitted to the Provost who will decide whether its recommendations should be implemented.  In fact, NTT faculty won't even be allowed to see the report until the Provost has reviewed it.

By contrast, a union contract would be negotiated by a democratically chosen negotiating committee and a tentative agreement would be either approved or rejected by NTTs across campus before becoming official policy.  In addition, a contract is enforceable while the provost's committee's report is merely a set of recommendations.

For additional information contact:

Patrick Francken: (309) 438-3080 (w) / (309) 862-1664 (h) / pefranc@ilstu.edu

Sharon MacDonald: (309) 438-3345 (w) / (309) 376-5021 (h) / (309) 530-1485 (c)

Steve Vaughan (IEA Organizer):      (217) 390-5942