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Provost Message E-Newsletter [Vanderbilt University]

February 17, 2017

Feb. 17, 2017

Dear Faculty,

As many of you know, on February 16, 2017, the Service Employees International Union Local 205 filed a representation petition at the National Labor Relations Board, seeking to unionize non-tenured track faculty and postdoctoral fellows whose appointments are in Arts & Science, Peabody, Blair and the Divinity School, and who are currently teaching at least one course.

Vanderbilt respects and honors all members of its faculty. We deeply appreciate their critical role in advancing the university’s mission. Vanderbilt has been and remains committed to supporting its non-tenure track faculty, keeping the lines of communication open, and working with them on all issues of concern. Vanderbilt believes in shared governance with all members of its faculty. For example, non-tenure track faculty hold key positions of leadership, such as chair of the Faculty Senate and 5 of 6 seats on the Executive Committee of the Senate. The leadership teams of nearly all our colleges include members of our non-tenure track faculty. Their critical role in university governance is acknowledged on all corners of our campus. The ways Vanderbilt demonstrates its respect for these faculty include ensuring that they have highly competitive benefits and are included in high profile programs on campus, such as Chancellor-led initiatives, major internal grants and campus wide faculty awards.

Vanderbilt is also committed to the career development of its postdoctoral fellows. We respect our fellows needs for mentoring and advancing, with the establishment of our Office of Postdoctoral Affairs in the Graduate School, their training is directly supported.

As this process unfolds, we think it is critical that eligible faculty be fully informed about the choice they face concerning unionization. We have prepared a Frequently Asked Questions document. The link to the FAQ can be found here.

Sincerely,
Susan Wente

Office of the Provost  |  vanderbilt.edu/provost

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