Digital Commons Network^™

April 8, 2025, Nichole Mulvey

Minutes

Vol. 53, No. 14

Student Fees and Tuition Increases Resolution passed. College of Health and Human Services proposes "hy-flex" courses to CAA.

Turning Farm Waste Into Energy: Pragmatic Approaches For Cleaner Midwestern American Communities, Rebecca Gaisie

Selected or Submitted Student Research Papers/Projects

Mismanagement of farm waste in the Midwest of the United States has resulted in significant methane emissions, water contamination, and public health concerns. The present manure management rules are still inconsistent, underfunded, and insufficient to motivate individuals to behave in a way that benefits the environment, despite increasing concerns about the environment. This policy study investigates anaerobic digestion as a potential means to convert waste into energy that could support rural and environmental development. Some of the problems with the federal and state legislation examined in this study under an EPI framework are a lack of incentives, inadequate technical support, …

Issue 58, Anna Nelson

NoteBooth

Spring 2025

Towards A Progressive Academy: Review Of Organizing Professionals: Academic Employees Negotiating A New Academy, Rebecca Kolins Givan

Journal of Collective Bargaining in the Academy

No abstract provided.

Every Grain Of Sand: 2024 Changes To The Scope Of Higher Education Unionization, William A. Herbert, Joseph Van Der Naald, Jacob Apkarian

Journal of Collective Bargaining in the Academy

In this research note, we supplement the findings presented in the National Center’s 2024 Directory of Bargaining Agents and Contracts in Institutions of Higher Education. We aggregate and analyze data on changes in academic collective bargaining relationships for faculty, postdoctoral scholars, and graduate and undergraduate student employees in the year 2024. Our findings demonstrate that the growth in academic collective bargaining over the past decade that we documented in the 2024 Directory has continued. However, we find some significant contractions in faculty unionization through institutional closures and the revocation of bargaining units in the state of Florida. The research …

Graduate Student Labor Unions: Two Experienced Academic Administrators Share Their Views, Karen R. Stubaus

Journal of Collective Bargaining in the Academy

This interview of two experienced academic administrators traces the evolution of graduate worker concerns as expressed in their collective bargaining agreements over the course of 50 years, at the University of Michigan and Michigan State University. Initial emphases on standard terms and conditions of employment are supplemented over the course of time with attention to work/life balance, discrimination and harassment, and other social justice issues. Administrators provide insights and advice on how to establish productive and collegial working relationships with the growing phenomenon of graduate worker unions.

Navigating Harassment And Discrimination At University Of California Through Uaw 4811'S Abusive Conduct Contract Provisions, Sarah Arveson, Emily Weintraut

Journal of Collective Bargaining in the Academy

The Respectful Work Environment (RWE) provisions in the recent University of California labor agreements with graduate students and postdocs have proven useful in addressing harassment and discrimination in new and perhaps more effective ways than either previous contract provisions or university policies and procedures. The authors describe how the new RWE provisions work and provide several illustrative case studies.

"No Pay, No Ras": Resident Assistant Unionization Amidst University Backlash, Justin Weller

Journal of Collective Bargaining in the Academy

While resident assistant (RA) unions have existed in the United States for over 20 years, RA unionization has accelerated on college campuses in recent years. This article explores the institutional responses to RA unionization through a distributive justice framework. I argue unionization aligns with the distributive justice framework and union-busting strategies do not align. I provide practical recommendations for institutions to align their practices with the National Labor Relations Act and relevant jurisprudence. Implications include a need to study RAs’ experiences in unionization and a continued focus on the ongoing legal challenges that may impact future unionization.

The Limits Of Law: Lessons For Collective Bargaining, Eric J. Scarffe, Daniel Saunders

Journal of Collective Bargaining in the Academy

This paper elucidates some features of law that generally go overlooked in collective bargaining. Using examples from collective bargaining agreements at universities in Florida, we unearth how assumptions about the nature of law (championed by the conservative legal movement) may undermine the ability for unions to influence the material working conditions at their universities. We believe negotiators need to reject these assumptions, and embrace an approach to ‘bargaining as pedagogy,’ which emphasizes the need for faculty and administrators alike to arrive at shared understandings of what the law means (be it the collective bargaining agreement, university policy, or state statute).

How Do Collective Agreements Stack Up? Implications For Academic Freedom, Tim Ribaric, Rahul Kumar

Journal of Collective Bargaining in the Academy

Abstract Academic freedom, a cornerstone of higher education, is formally codified within the enforceable language of collective agreements (CAs) between universities and faculty unions in Canada. While the Canadian Association of University Teachers (CAUT) provides an exemplar framework for academic freedom clauses, institutional interpretations and implementations vary significantly. This study comprehensively analyzed CAs from 44 Canadian universities using computational text analysis methods, specifically Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) and Term Frequency-Inverse Document Frequency (TF-IDF). The analysis revealed that approximately 27% of institutions closely align with the CAUT exemplar, while 57% incorporate additional limiting factors that qualify the exercise of academic freedom. …

A Beautiful Mind Meets Harsh Reality: Practical Tips For Negotiators When Bargaining Strays From Ideal Conditions, Christopher C. Douglas, Ellen Grachek, Allyson Strickland, Marie Waung

Journal of Collective Bargaining in the Academy

Bilateral bargaining theory developed by mathematician and Nobel Laureate John Nash predicts that when both parties have full information, a deal is quickly reached without a strike. Such a situation represents ideal conditions, which the real world does not match. However, Nash Bargaining presents a useful baseline for bargaining teams. We discuss deviations from ideal conditions that bargaining teams are likely to face and tactics for overcoming them with the goal of reaching an agreement while avoiding a strike. This paper’s focus draws from our experience negotiating a contract for non-tenure track faculty across the three University of Michigan campuses, …

Faculty Views About Their Covid-19 Layoffs From A Public University In The Us Midwest, Susan E. Ramlo

Journal of Collective Bargaining in the Academy

In July 2020, a public university in the US Midwest announced it would lay off 96 bargaining unit faculty based on a force majeure clause in the union contract. Most of the faculty held tenure and some were distinguished professors. The layoffs occurred with no faculty input and immediately following a major university reorganization. This study uses Q methodology [Q] to examine the Perceived Organizational Support [POS] of these laid off unionized faculty within an agency theory framework. Q allows us to reveal and describe the divergent views of the laid off faculty based upon analyses of their sorts of …

Who Benefits From A Faculty Union During A Pandemic?, Mary Ellen Benedict, David Mcclough, John Hoag

Journal of Collective Bargaining in the Academy

This paper examines the effect of unions on instructional staffing at public institutions during the pandemic. Using IPEDS data for 2018-2021, we find that tenured faculty benefited from a union while tenure track and non-tenure track faculty were unaffected.

Jcba's Origins, Evolution, & Future, Gary Rhoades, Karen Stubaus

Journal of Collective Bargaining in the Academy

This article traces the origins and history of the Journal of Collective Bargaining in the Academy, and celebrates its founder, Dr. Jeffrey Cross, as well as noting the significant contributions of National Center directors Richard Boris and William Herbert.

Grounded In Touch: The Science Behind Anxiety Relief And Human Connection, Misty Rhoads Ph.D. Czb, Mary Murphy M.A., Lmt, Czb, Mary L. Behrens Pt, Czb, Rhonda Salvo Pt, Czb, Sarah-Elizabeth Anderson Lmt, Czb, Clare Gowen Pt, Czb, Dawn Humbles Lsh, Czb, Veronica Quarry Pt, Czb, Deborah Rosene Ph.D., Czb, Wendy Tribelhorn Lmt, Czb, Jared Urcheck L.Ac, Czb, Deanna Waggy Otr, Czb

Journal of Transformative Touch

Background: Anxiety disorders are among the most pervasive mental health challenges worldwide, affecting individuals across all demographics and socioeconomic backgrounds. As a leading contributor to disability and diminished quality of life, anxiety continues to rise in prevalence, exacerbated by global crises and societal stressors. This study explored how Zero Balancing (ZB) supports individuals with anxiety. Researchers hypothesized that ZB would lower the perceived severity of general anxiety and reduce perceived anxiety symptoms.

Methods: A concurrent mixed-methods phenomenological research design was utilized to honor the holistic nature of bodywork and explore participants' lived experiences. This national study involved 320 ZB sessions …

Eng 5025-600 Creative Writing Professional Development, Colleen Abel

Fall 2024

No abstract provided.

Eng 5010-600 Studies In Twentieth-Century American Literature, Melissa Ames

Fall 2024

No abstract provided.

Eng 5007-600 Composition Theory And Pedagogy, Rachael Ryerson

Fall 2024

No abstract provided.

Eng 5007-001 Composition Theory And Pedagogy, Rachael Ryerson

Fall 2024

No abstract provided.

Eng 4801-600 Integrating The English Language Arts, Melissa Ames

Fall 2024

No abstract provided.

Eng 3903a-001 Women, Literature, And Language, Pre-1800, Julie Campbell

Fall 2024

No abstract provided.

Eng 3401-001 Methods Of Teaching Composition In The Middle And Secondary School, Elizabeth Tacke

Fall 2024

No abstract provided.

Eng 3009g-710 Myth And Culture, Elizabeth Tacke

Fall 2024

No abstract provided.

Eng 3008-001 Digital Writing And Multimodal Texts, Rachael Ryerson

Fall 2024

No abstract provided.

Eng 2950-001 Transatlantic Literary History Culture, Literacies, And Technologies I, Julie Campbell

Fall 2024

No abstract provided.

Eng 2760-001 Introduction To Professional Writing, Rashelle Spear

Fall 2024

No abstract provided.

Eng 2205-001 Introduction To Literary Studies, Julie Campbell

Fall 2024

No abstract provided.

Eng 1002g-600 College Composition Ii Argument And Critical Inquiry, Ashley Flach

Fall 2024

No abstract provided.

Eng 1002g-006 College Composition Ii Argument And Critical Inquiry, Lydia Craig

Fall 2024

No abstract provided.

Eng 1002g-005 College Composition Ii Argument And Critical Inquiry, Elizabeth Tacke

Fall 2024

No abstract provided.