Welcome Back – member meeting on Wednesday the 26th

1/21/2022

Dear Members,

Goodbye 2021….and hello 2022!  We hope you got a well-deserved break and are ready for what promises to be a challenging Spring semester.  

The University’s Covid safety protocols are not where the FSU would like them to be, especially in terms of testing, masking, and social distancing, but we are nonetheless returning to face-to-face teaching this semester.  Requests to temporarily move your class to a remote modality should be made through your Department Chair.   

The Minimum Faculty Responsibilities email received from the Provost has been updated (see attached).  Please review. 

This Spring will be an active one for the FSU and there are numerous ways for members to get involved:

•         Elections – If you are a member, please consider running for the FSU Executive Committee.  Get more information here.

·        Bargaining – The FSU Core Bargaining Team reached a tentative agreement on the 2020-2023 contract.  Please see here for an update.  If you are a member, please join us on January 26^th from 3pm to 4pm for a discussion of the contract.   FSU members will vote to ratify the contract from January 27^th until February 2^nd.

·        General Meeting – Please attend our Annual Meeting this Spring – Thursday, April 14^th, 11-12:30.  This is open to FSU members only.

·        FSU Forums - The FSU will also be holding or co-sponsoring a number of “Forums” throughout the semester on topics ranging from academic freedom to bargaining and organizing.

·        FSU Executive Committee Meetings – The FSU Executive Committee meets every two weeks during the academic year – meetings are open to all FSU members.  We meet this semester on the following dates/times: 

1/20      (Thurs) 11-12:15

2/4        (Friday)  3-4:30

2/17      (Thurs) 11-12:15

3/4        (Friday)  3-4:30

3/24      (Thurs) 11-12:15

4/7        (Thurs) 11-12:15

4/28      (Thurs) 11-12:15 

5/13      (Friday)  3:00-4:30

This is your union, and our ability to shape UMass Boston and public higher education as a whole depends on your participation. If you have not yet joined the FSU we encourage you to do so (contact the FSU for membership information; we’ll also be following up with additional information for faculty members and librarians who have not yet joined).

Sincerely,

Steve Striffler                                     Caroline Coscia

FSU President                                     FSU Vice President

Director, Labor Resource Center    Senior Lecturer II

Professor, Anthropology                  Political Science

For information on the FSU, links to our contract and bargaining updates, and a calendar of events, see the FSU webpage