The Campus Coalition Against Workplace Bullying has been meeting for a year and a half to plan the launch of an awareness/policy/education campaign to address workplace bullying here on the UMass/Amherst campus.

The first stage in that campaign is a comprehensive assessment of the issue among our members.  We need to hear from you.  Have you experienced bullying?  Have you witnessed bullying?  The survey is voluntary, confidential, and anonymous.

If you have not yet completed the survey, please do so TODAY by following the link below:

http://www.mtasurveys.org/se.ashx?s=0B87CA7D0E0B255B

As part of the discussions around exceptional merit last May, MSP secured language concerning how contract faculty are to be evaluated for regular merit.  The specific language can be found below but it basically assures that contract faculty not be penalized in the merit system for not contributing in each of the three areas (teaching, research and service) if they have not been contracted to do so.  Additionally MSP has agreed to the creation of a joint union/administration committee to review all contract faculty merit recommendations to ensure enforcement of the new language.

MSP reminds faculty to be sure to keep the new language in mind when deliberating over and making merit recommendations.

With a vote of 555 to 6, the MSP membership overwhelmingly approved the new two year (2012-2014) collective bargaining agreement.  Our sister chapter on the Boston campus, the Faculty Staff Union, also approved the agreement with a vote of 185 to 5.

Save the Date!

Effective 7/1/11 the calendar year maximum for the dental program has been increased to $1,200.  The increased maximum will apply to all services provided on or after 7/1/11.  Also effective July 1, 2011, coverage for dental implants has been added to the Type C services.

2012-2014 Contract Ratification Information

A proposal to establish a College of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences was submitted to the Faculty Senate and presented by the Provost at the January 20, 2011 meeting.  This proposal was drafted following meetings with a Provostial Committee made up of ten department chairs in CSBS and CHFA.  Committee members were asked for their review and reaction to the draft they received but they were not asked to vote on or otherwise ratify it.

Recently the MSP surveyed its bargaining unit membership to gauge support around the administration's proposal to merge the colleges of Humanities and Fine Arts and Social & Behaviorial Sciences.  Results which are now posted show an overwhelming lack of support for the Provost's proposal not only from members within the affected colleges but from those outside them as well.

In the past two weeks, MSP hosted a survey of its membership concerning the performance of Chancellor Holub.  The questions posed were taken directly from the Chancellor Evaluation committee's email asking the MSP to participate in the review.  Many have asked about the results which are now available.

The results of the MSP vote on the administration’s Exceptional Merit Proposal are in and the set of agreements was approved by the membership by a vote of 453 in favor (60.5%) and 295 opposed (39.5%).