Our Mission
The main mission of the BGSU-FA is to negotiate the terms and conditions of employment for all full-time BGSU faculty, including salary and benefits, working conditions, and faculty grievances. This work, all of which is performed by volunteers from within the organization, can take many forms.
“I am very proud of the work of the BGSU-FA. Every year faculty volunteers put in thousands of hours to stand up for the rights of all faculty. Whether it is bargaining our contract, representing colleagues in disciplinary matters, or filing a grievance when a wrong has been done, I never cease to be impressed with the professionalism and determination shown by BGSU-FA activists. The academic calling is a noble pursuit, and it deserves the protection only collective bargaining can provide.”
— David J. Jackson (President, BGSU Faculty Association)
Grievances
One of the main functions of the BGSU-FA is to assist faculty with cases in which the terms and conditions of employment as laid out in the Collective Bargaining Agreement may have been violated. Our Contract and Grievance Officer (CAGO), in consultation with the BGSU-FA President, work with faculty to determine whether a violation has occurred and how to proceed in resolving it. Sometimes this process leads to an informal resolution, while other cases require additional levels of redress. Contact information for the BGSU-FA CAGO may be found here.
shared governance
The principle of shared governance means that faculty have a voice in decisions about the university policies and procedures that affect them. This means that university faculty and administrators work collaboratively to solve problems in a way that – to the extent possible – benefits both sides. The most important testament to this joint decision-making process is our Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), now in its third iteration (2019—2022). Additionally, successful negotiations with university administration have yielded numerous Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) that are subsequently incorporated into the CBA.
Committees
Another aspect of shared governance is the work by joint committees (stipulated by the Collective Bargaining Agreement) to address issues that require additional study and discussion. These committees are coordinated and overseen by the Labor Management Committee, which is a permanent working group comprised of representatives from university faculty and administration. Current committees address faculty evaluation and assessment, support for faculty teaching, improvement of the Faculty Improvement Leave process, facilitating the continued research and promotion of middle-rank faculty, and the health and wellness of university faculty and staff.
Additionally, the BGSU-FA coordinates representation on numerous university standing committees and other institutions (e.g., Faculty Senate) to ensure that the principle of shared governance functions consistently in all areas of university decision-making.
department representatives
The BGSU-FA works to ensure that every academic unit elects one faculty member to serve as the Department Representative to the BGSU-FA. As the first point of contact between faculty and the BGSU-FA, these volunteers assist in disseminating information from the BGSU-FA Executive Committee and convey concerns from faculty in their respective department back to the relevant BGSU-FA officers. In addition, Department Representatives can help guide colleagues to necessary resources in order to address their concerns. The current list of department representatives can be found here.