About Us
What is AAUP?
AAUP is the American Association of University Professors. Nationally, the AAUP was formed in 1915 to define and advance the professional standards of higher education faculty members. Since 1990, the Cincinnati State Chapter of the AAUP has represented all full-time faculty of the College.
What does the AAUP do for Cincinnati State faculty?
As the official collective bargaining representative (the union) for Cincinnati State’s full-time faculty, AAUP establishes contractual agreements with the College administration covering matters such as the faculty role in College governance, the procedures for selection and appointment of faculty members and academic administrators, the criteria and processes for tenure and sabbatical leave, the standards for faculty workload, and the protection of academic freedom. The AAUP Contract also covers faculty compensation and our full spectrum of benefits.
Our Chapter also awards two annual AAUP Scholarships to deserving students, and maintains a Sick Leave Bank for full-time faculty who may need additional leave time to deal with an illness or other medical emergency. (See the Service section for more about Scholarships and the Sick Leave Bank.)
Is AAUP the same as Faculty Senate?
No. While the AAUP focuses on the contractual topics mentioned above, the Faculty Senate is designated in the AAUP Contract as the representative body of the faculty for dealing with academic matters.
The Faculty Senate and its standing committees (which include faculty appointed by the Senate and in some cases include administrator representatives) make recommendations to the College’s senior administration on topics such as admission and graduation requirements, curriculum, appropriate class sizes, cooperative education, peer mentoring, and aspects of student life that relate to the educational process.
In addition, the Faculty Senate provides input to the College administration on other College issues that are not fundamentally academic, such as long- and short-range planning, the judicious use of financial resources, marketing, and non-academic hiring processes. The Faculty Senate appoints members to administration committees that are related to these topics.
What is the organizational structure of our AAUP chapter?
The Cincinnati State AAUP Chapter has an elected Executive Committee (often referred to as “Exec”), which consists of the President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, Membership Chair, and Member-at-Large. These officers are elected by the Chapter members in October for a two-year term. The Past President of the Chapter and the Contract Compliance Officer also are Exec members.
View a list of current AAUP officers in Contact Information.
View a list of Past Officers and Bargaining Teams.
Do I automatically become an AAUP member when I am hired as a full-time faculty member?
When you are hired, you automatically become a member of the faculty bargaining unit, but not a “full” member of the Chapter.
Most Cincinnati State faculty members choose to become “full” members of the AAUP Chapter. If you choose to become a full member, an assessment of 1% of your base salary (not including overload) is automatically deducted from your biweekly paycheck via payroll deduction, beginning with your first check after submitting the membership form. (For example, the amount deducted per paycheck would be about $23.08 if your annual salary is $60,000.)
This amount covers National and State AAUP dues, as well as local expenses associated with AAUP’s responsibilities in serving as the union representative for all full-time faculty of the College.
Only full members can serve as Chapter officers, vote in Chapter elections, and vote on contractual matters such as ratifying a contract agreement or authorizing a strike.
How can I become a full member of the AAUP Chapter?
The AAUP Membership Chair, Jessica Loomis, will contact you after you join the faculty, and ask you to complete a membership form. You can return the form via campus mail or email.
Access the form at this link: Enrollment_Form
If I’m not a full member, can I still receive help from the union if I’m having a problem?
Yes. The AAUP represents all bargaining unit members in contract compliance issues.
I think I filled out the AAUP membership form, but how do I confirm that I am a full member?
On the Blackboard “MyServices for Employees” menu, look at the “Pay Advice” section. Under “Deductions,” you should see “AAUP – Full Share.”
How does the AAUP Chapter communicate with faculty?
We use a variety of communication methods, including:
- Messages sent from the Chapter email account: CincinnatiStateAAUP@cincinnatistate.edu
- Periodic AAUP newsletters, which may be distributed via email as PDF documents, or distributed in printed form to faculty mailboxes (or sent through College mail to satellite campuses)
- Posts on our “Cincinnati State AAUP” Facebook page.
- Information on our AAUP website: www.cinstateaaup.org
During contract bargaining, messages may be sent to faculty at your off-campus email address.
Where can I find a copy of the AAUP contract?
AAUP contracts are posted on the Library page.
When does our current contract expire?
AAUP contracts are typically in effect for two or three academic years. (Three years is the maximum contract length allowed under Ohio’s collective bargaining law).
The current contract expires on August 27, 2023, at 11:59 p.m. (the day before the beginning of Fall Semester 2023).
Where is the AAUP office on campus?
The AAUP office is in room 147 in the Main building on the Clifton campus.
Contact Greg Klein, Contract Compliance Officer (513-569-5785), or any member of the AAUP Executive Committee, if you would like to schedule a meeting or if you have other questions.
Why is there a frog in some versions of the AAUP Chapter logo?
“Froggy” has been a symbol of the Cincinnati State AAUP Chapter since 1989, when faculty members decided to seek union representation and the College administration tried to persuade faculty that a union was not needed.
Close to the time that faculty were scheduled to vote on whether they wanted AAUP to become the faculty union, the administration sent a letter to all faculty members that referred to “Froggy the Gremlin,” a character from a 1940s radio show and a 1950s TV show for children. The reference was intended to convince faculty that affiliating with a union would be a foolish choice. However, Cincinnati State faculty turned Froggy into a symbol of faculty unity and voted for a union by an overwhelming margin. Froggy has been with us ever since!
