A brief update on where we are currently: we are continuing to prepare for elections and have been pushing back against the university administration’s attempt to exclude faculty from the union. This week, faculty met with the attorney representing us, who in turn has been advocating for greater inclusion of faculty and made that case to the university administration’s legal team and the SERB. The university has until June 11 to provide a formal response with a list of who among faculty they will include and exclude, and we will make a response Monday, June 17.

As a reminder on the issues at hand: the University administration has attempted to exclude most faculty from the College of Health Sciences and Professions (CHSP) as well as all faculty from the Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine (HCOM). We feel strongly that our union should be as broad and inclusive as possible.

An additional reminder for faculty in CHSP and HCOM: We’re continuing to reach out to faculty individually, and you may hear from our organizers about scheduling one-on-one conversations – these are very important! We are working to assess and build support, and it’s always important to make sure that your voice is heard! If you have any questions or wish to speak with a faculty organizer, please email us at unitedacademicsofou@gmail.com.