Resolution # 2020-13

On October 28, 2020, the UH West Oʻahu Faculty Senate adopted the following Resolution:

Whereas, the UH West Oʻahu Administration has not satisfactorily consulted Division Chairs, Faculty Senate, nor appropriate faculty as to how proposed budget plans impact workload for Instructional faculty specifically, and have thus not operated in the spirit and practice of shared governance and transparency; and

Whereas, the proposed changes, if put into effect, would dramatically alter the ability of faculty to meet current requirements for excellence in teaching, high quality research, and dedicated service to the institution according to agreed upon criteria between the Faculty Senate, Administration and the University of Hawaii Professional Assembly (UHPA); and

Whereas, the proposed changes will adversely affect progress towards contract renewal, tenure, and promotion for Instructional Faculty, and streamlining Specialist positions, and additional work demands of all faculty will be detrimental to success and progress; and

Whereas, 3 of 5 cost-efficiency strategies offered by the UH West Oʻahu Administration are proposed as the responsibility of the teaching faculty, with a proposed but unspecified increase in course workload from the long-established and clearly documented 9 Workload Credits (WLC) per semester of teaching and 3 WLC per semester assigned to research and service; and

Whereas, a written notification to increase course minimum enrollments (unspecified) and a stated increase in course ceilings (unspecified); plus the paperwork involved in revising programs, combining programs, adding new programs, and potentially revising tenure and promotion guidelines, which are all very time-intensive processes (covered by the 3 WLC dedicated to service and research); and

Whereas, the Administration is not taking into account the impact of potential salary cuts to be imposed by the State of Hawaii in addition to the proposal of a significantly increased workload and the fact that university instructional faculty cannot be “furloughed” from work days because of the nature of their work; and

Whereas, the Administration has not consulted UHPA (to date) on proposed changes to long-standing practice and policy, bargained conditions, and budget cuts that would impact lecturers with rolling contracts, I-2 faculty, tenured and tenure-track faculty; and

Whereas, the Administration has not been transparent about data methodology and criteria, and has failed to consult appropriate parties for input, only informing faculty of the results. This has created an environment in which there is a lack of clarity in the process and thus faculty confidence in the Administration, resulting in low morale, along with anxiety and increased stress during a worldwide pandemic; and

Whereas, the proposed plan would significantly alter UH West Oʻahu’s mission, vision, and value propositions in service to students who are struggling in the online environment; and

Whereas, UH West Oʻahu faculty salaries are already significantly lower than those at comparable institutions; and

Whereas, increasing course capacities would impact educational effectiveness and retention of students, and the ability of faculty to perform their duties with the same quality and attention to individual students as they can in long-established limits on particular course types, like Writing Intensive and online delivery; and

Whereas, an increase in faculty workload combined with a cut in pay would continue the pattern of losing Instructional faculty to other institutions, and thus adding to the increased non-instructional work demands of faculty for hiring lecturers, serving on hiring committees, and covering courses; and

Whereas, a leadership team was created without faculty and staff representation, in violation of the principle of “shared governance” which is referenced in R-20, Roles and Consultation Protocols Involving UH Administration, UHPA, and UH Faculty Senates in the Collective Bargaining Agreement; and

Whereas, Division Chairs, Faculty Senate, and appropriate faculty have not been given a clear timeline as to when a draft for proposed budget cuts will be circulated for feedback from aforementioned parties; and

Whereas, the current proposal does not specify the initial implementation, amount of WLC increase of teaching, nor the criteria or timeframe that will determine the end of proposed changes, and thus cannot be agreed upon because they lack specifics; now, therefore, be it

Resolved, that faculty assert, pursuant to Ch. 89 H.R.S. and R-20 of the collective bargaining agreement, that a representative committee be formed with Administration to reconsider the proposed cost efficiencies; that the cost efficiencies be spread more equally across all units of the university, not just Academic Affairs, and not predominantly affecting the teaching faculty who deliver the educational product to students; and that specific details are provided for all proposals with specific timelines of implementation and retraction given that the current situation is dire but not permanent.

Intended Purpose or Rationale