Every Member Matters
There are many ways to get involved from those who are able to fulfill a leadership role to those who are able to find a few hours in their busy schedule each quarter. For more information on joining any of our leadership teams below, fill out our UNION INVOLVEMENT INTEREST form.
Become a Member
PSU-AAUP represents instructional faculty and academic professionals employed by Portland State University at .5 FTE and above.
By becoming a member, you are supporting academic freedom, tenure, shared governance, and many other rights now enjoyed at Portland State University. These practices must be defended not just at PSU, but nationwide. AAUP works on the principle of pooled strength:
The strong help defend the weak. Over the years, members have joined not just because they may need AAUP themselves but because they realize that the maintenance of academic freedom is imperative to the future of higher education.
We need your support! By filling out a membership application:
- you are helping AAUP lobby at the state and national level to ensure that there is money available. The more members we have, the stronger our voice in Salem and in Washington, DC
- you are helping fight attacks on tenure and academic freedom at the national level
- you can vote on contract ratification or on other important union issues
The more support we have from full members, the stronger our position at the bargaining table! Please take a look at our page on membership here. You will find the application, as well as a summary of the many benefits of membership.
Unit Representative Team
By becoming a unit rep, you help build the union in a fundamental way. Unit representatives provide key information to and from faculty members on the status and progress of negotiations, faculty issues, and more. They are the glue in this grassroots organization, making sure all members are informed and have an active voice.
It’s easy to be an AAUP Unit Rep, and really important! Unit reps…
- Post AAUP flyers on bulletin boards in or near your units,
- Inform other AAUP members of events,
- Encourage new faculty to join the AAUP,
- Help to invite AAUP officers to address faculty or unit meetings
- Provide feedback to the Executive Council and Bargaining Team on your thoughts about issues in your unit or strategy ideas.
All Unit Reps will be provided with a Unit Rep Packet, including AAUP brochures, membership forms, talking points, the current contract, etc.
Time Commitment: 1-2 hours a month
Executive Council
The Executive Council is the governing body of the PSU chapter of the AAUP. The council is composed of eight officers (President, Vice-President for Grievances and Academic Freedom, Vice-President for Collective Bargaining, Vice-President for Membership & Organizing, Vice-President for Legislative & Political Action, Vice-President for Communications & Public Relations, Treasurer, and Secretary) and six Councilors as well as the Immediate Past President. Elections for the executive council occur every year in April, each term is two years.
Consider running for the upcoming year, or perhaps you have someone in mind to nominate. To be eligible, candidates must be full members of PSU-AAUP by the election date.
- Attend bi-weekly meetings.
- Work with other committee members to make decisions affecting union activities.
- Time Commitment: 6 hours a month
If you are interested in running for Executive Council or would like to nominate a colleague, please contact aaup@psuaaup.net.
Collective Bargaining Team
The Collective Bargaining Team works to improve the PSU-AAUP Collective Bargaining Agreement (the Contract), and as such, guarantees the rights of the faculty members of PSU. Please see our Collective Bargaining pages for current work that the team is undertaking. The team works with other committee members to:
- Bargain with PSU negotiators
- Help to build a better contract
- Time Commitment: 5 hours a week
Organizing Committee
Join the Organizing Committee to help craft ideas on upcoming PSU-AAUP events and causes. For more information, contact our Vice President for Membership & Organizing, Ellis Hews, at aaup@psuaaup.net.
Legislative & Political Action Committee
Join the PSU-AAUP Legislative Committee to help craft principles for the PSU-AAUP to follow in thinking about legislation to propose or support candidates to endorse and strategies for getting our perspectives out to policy makers.
Grievance Committee
The PSU-AAUP Grievance Committee is critical in enforcing our collective bargaining agreement and ensuring fair working conditions. We are actively recruiting dedicated members to join the committee where we investigate concerns and help find resolutions for arising issues.