Know Your Contract Proposals: Article VII. Institutional Commitments Part I

Over the summer, we would like to go further in-depth into key contract proposals that affect UIC faculty workplace rights. This time, we’ll be looking at part of Article VII. Institutional Commitments. Read on for a discussion of the proposal’s highlights, how we're looking towards the future, and the full proposal text.

Remember: these are contract proposals; this language has not been agreed upon or signed into the contract.

Article Overview:

Institutional Commitments is arguably one of the most salient articles in the contract because it affects our daily lives on campus. It’s a long article with many disparate parts, but they all fall under the umbrella of what the university should provide faculty to be able to do their jobs. Today, we’re looking at Institutional Commitments proposals related to institutional monetary support; part 2 will deal with issues related to the common good.
New Draft Provisions (summarized; you can read the full proposal text here):

B. In accordance with the University of Illinois System’s International Travel Safety Policy, the System shall pay the insurance premium for system business travel for employees.

F. Technology and Classroom Support

• New computer and relevant computing accessories (e.g., keyboard and mouse) allowance of no more than $2400
• Faculty may opt out of College-level managed computer programs that exceed the Acceptable Use of Computational Resources policy at any time.
• The University shall not monitor the personal email accounts, public or non-public social media accounts, or other personal electronic communication accounts of bargaining unit members.
• The University shall provide high-speed internet access to faculty offices and classrooms during all hours.

H. Intellectual Property

• Shore up protections around AI replacing faculty labor and ensuring there’s shared governance around decisions to adopt, regulate, and monitor the use of AI and other educational technologies (see also last week’s discussion on Article XXIV. Educational Technology & Artificial Intelligence)

J. Moving Expenses for New Hires

• All newly hired bargaining unit members are eligible for moving expenses.

M. Training on Human Resources

• Unit executive officers should be trained in HR policies, such as parental leave, which could reduce the number of grievances and create more effective leadership across campus.

Why This Article Matters:

When the University imposes new, costly policies on faculty, management should pay for those policies. If the University expects faculty to travel internationally on system business, it should also take responsibility for ensuring that travel is adequately insured and compliant with system policies.
Reliable technology, privacy protection, and classroom support constitute basic working conditions for faculty work. Our proposed contract language would ensure that faculty are not personally subsidizing the tools required for their jobs and would allow faculty to opt out of systems that may compromise privacy and autonomy on the job.

Recruitment of new faculty should not be limited by who can afford the cost of relocation. Covering these costs will help ensure that accepting a faculty position at UIC is financially feasible.

Training of unit executive officers in HR policies would improve both faculty support and campus administration. Too often, faculty run into avoidable problems simply because supervisors do not fully understand policies. Better training would reduce confusion and create more consistent and accountable leadership across campus.