The purpose of the paper is to understand why academics' main association and trade union in England (University and College Union-UCU) is not stronger in its representation capacity, deepening knowledge regarding its role in the wider higher education sector. UCU operates in an adversarial context, claiming itself to be academics' main voice.…

As in several other countries, Canada's research-focused universities have seen an expansion in recent decades of tenurable or tenure-like teaching-focused faculty (TTFF) roles. TTFF streams are not new in Canada, but they have experienced growth in number and re-definition in scope at many universities. Despite its definitive impact in…

This study uncovers students', professors', and employers' micro-credential programs perceived value. Using a phenomenological methodology, we unveiled the meaning of participants' shared experiences. We performed a narrative analysis of students' written assessments and built a robust information-gathering structure with professors' and…

This article aims to address the fairness of promotion evaluation (appointments to the rank of full professor) process in Canadian business schools as perceived by tenured business female faculty. Our analysis is underscored by two studies with two different data collection methods (survey data analysis, policy content analysis) and driven by…

In January 2023, the AAUP announced the establishment of a special committee to review an apparent pattern of politically, racially, and ideologically motivated attacks on public higher education in Florida. Since then, the undersigned members of this special committee have interviewed more than forty faculty members and a former president at…

The prevalence of labour disruptions in the Canadian education sector requires a comprehensive analysis of the adverse implications of strikes for stakeholders and Canadian society in general. Education is a kind of public good that generates positive externalities and strikes in Canadian universities and colleges engender negative externalities…

A central goal of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) is to protect academic freedom, tenure, and due process by assisting faculty governance bodies and AAUP chapters in their efforts to incorporate AAUP-recommended policies in faculty handbooks and collective bargaining agreements. This report provides a statistical analysis…

In this article, I examine the relationship between unionism and academic freedom as revealed by 50 years of reports by the American Association of University Professors' Committee A on Academic Freedom and Tenure. Written following investigations of significant and/or intractable situations, the reports demonstrate the complex interactions…

American public higher education systems include the largest and most impactful colleges and universities in the nation, including 75 percent of the nation's public sector students. While their impact is enormous, they are largely neglected as an area of study and underutilized as an instrument for the improvement of postsecondary outcomes.…

Right-to-work (RTW) laws neither provide opportunity for gainful employment nor a higher standard of living. In truth, by ending a union's ability to charge administrative fees to employees who benefit from their collectively bargained contract, these laws aim to weaken unions and silence workers. They are designed to help employers, not workers.…

On October 16, 2017, over 12,000 faculty, librarians, and counsellors in 24 independent postsecondary colleges in Ontario, Canada went on strike for the fourth time since they organized in 1971 as members of the Civil Service Association of Ontario and won their first collective agreement the next year. Begun as an apolitical, self-consciously…

This research project investigates librarians' attitudes toward unions and collective bargaining through data collected from a nationwide survey of 359 academic librarians in the United States. We found that academic librarians have a generally positive view of unions and collective bargaining agreements, a notable result in a national political…

This study takes college teaching/educational quality seriously by taking teachers' working conditions seriously. Data consist of contractual provisions about adjunct faculty members' access to instructional resources and professional development in 254 collective bargaining agreements. The research analyzes the negotiated balance in…

Public education, from pre-K through higher education, and labor unions, particularly those representing public sector workers, are today under attack from those who question the very need to have such basic institutions. "United University Professions" is a history of United University Professions (UUP), which grew from humble…

Trust and fairness are essential components in building strong, positive relationships with union representatives. Although negotiating contracts with faculty and employee unions can be challenging, it's easier and less contentious when the two sides approach the process not as adversaries, but as partners in improving education. Even with strong…