In December 2008, the CMU Board of Trustees adopted the policy, which requires employees seeking or holding political office to achieve administrative approval.

Under the policy, employees who seek or hold a political position in any federal, state, county or local office, part-time or full-time, paid or unpaid, are required to present a statement from his or her supervisor and the vice president, provost or president of CMU. The statement must attest that “appropriate arrangements have been made to ensure that their candidacy in no way will interfere with the full performance of their university work and that their candidacy will pose no conflict with professional standards or ethics.”

If the employee is found to violate this, then “an alternate relationship with the university must be arranged.”

“The Faculty Association believed the policy was too vague and subject to the whims of a future administration which may selectively try to discourage some candidacies while passing on others,” said James Hill, professor of political science.

The FA asked to renegotiate the policy, but the administration denied.

CMU and the FA agreed to the political candidacy policy during bargaining for the 2008-11 contract, said Matt Serra, director of faculty employee relations.

“The administration refused to negotiate the policy, arguing that we silently agreed to it when we ratified the old contract,” Hill said.

The administration then allowed the FA to bargain the procedures that would be used to implement the policy. A special faculty team was created to do so, chaired by Hill.

The team drafted a procedure, which included criteria for administration to use. It stated decisions could not be made based on an employee’s political party, likelihood to win and their office sought or appointed to.

It also included an appeals process, details of application deadlines and clarified between a conflict of interest and a conflict of commitment.

The administration and FA tentatively agreed on the procedure at the beginning of the fall 2010 semester, Serra said. But the procedure has still not been implemented, because two university unions have yet to approve.

Opposition

In Dec. 2009, about a year after the board adopted the policy, CMU’s office professionals union (UAW) filed a lawsuit claiming the policy was unlawful.

The university filed its answer on Jan. 25, 2010, and both parties filed motions for summary disposition.

On Aug. 2, 2010, the Isabella County Trial Court granted the motion for summary disposition and dismissed the lawsuit filed by the UAW. The court sided with the university in that the policy is consistent with Michigan law. The UAW’s appeal to this decision was argued before the Michigan Court of Appeals on Nov. 2, 2011. Both parties are awaiting a decision.

UAW President Karen Bellingar and UAW International Service Representative Brian Bosak both declined comment, citing pending litigation.

The supervisory technical union has also not approved the procedure, said Kevin Smart, director of employee relations.

Gary Peters

Gary Peters, a democrat from Bloomfield Hills, was a professor of political science at CMU and a Griffin Endowed Chair and left CMU in 2008 after winning a primary election for the House of Representatives. The advocacy policy was passed immediately after.

Hill said Peters’ campaign did not hinder his ability to serve as a professor at CMU.

“Mr. Peters was an excellent chair who spent the same amount of effort as every other chair who succeeded him,” he said. “I am quite proud to say that a former Griffin chair went on to become a member of Congress, and unsuccessful efforts to try to force him to leave earlier than the primary were short-sighted politically and strategically.”

Peters serves the 9th congressional district, including Macomb County. After his district was eliminated, Peters announced he will run in the 14th district against Rep. Hansen Clarke, D-Detroit.

“U.S. Rep. Peters is proud of his work at CMU and thinks that everyone has a Constitutional right to run for public office,” said Jared Smith, communications director for Peters.

The policy is difficult to swallow for some political science faculty, especially since public service is part of CMU’s vision statement.

“I find it curious that the board [of trustees] and the administration want us to be service-oriented but then adopt a policy that makes it more difficult for faculty to run for office than it does for them to make money in the private sector,” Hill said. “It is particularly frustrating for those of us in political science who believe running for office is not just a right but a responsibility of all citizens who care about our democracy and want to have a role in influencing our democratic process.”

A search committee has been formed to find his replacement, chaired by College of Science and Technology Dean Ian Davison.

The position will be renamed executive director of faculty personnel services, said Director of Public Relations Steve Smith.

Martin was a member of the university bargaining team for the Faculty Association’s 2011-2014 contract dispute, which lasted about seven months.

He was hired on Sept. 28, 2001 and submitted his retirement letter on June 30, 2011, Smith said.

June 30 was the same day the previous FA contract expired.

“He had been looking forward to retiring from CMU and his career for several months,” said Ann Miller, director of faculty employment and compensation for FPS.

Matt Serra, director of faculty employee relations, and Ray Christie, vice provost of academic administration, were on the team alongside Martin.

Christie said he will miss Martin and his contributions terribly.

“Bob Martin served the university in a very challenging position and did so for more than a decade,” Christie said. “Bob’s performance was exemplary. He was always driven to protect the interests of the university as a whole, and he did so while being fair to all concerned.”

Serra said he was fortunate to have worked closely with Martin for the past four-and-a-half years.

“He is a fantastic mentor, a great leader, an expert negotiator, a brilliant employee relations mind and a friend,” Serra said. “While employed at CMU, he always kept the university’s best interests in mind in everything he was involved in and always operated with complete integrity.”

Martin could not be reached by press time.

Sons Chris and Lucien waited patiently outside the Lake Michigan Room of the Bovee University Center Thursday afternoon while their father, David Stairs of the Art and Design department, voted. "I hope it passes," David said. (Staff Photographer/Brooke Mayle)

The Central Michigan University Faculty Association ratified its 2011-14 contract Thursday night after more than seven months of bargaining with the university, including a strike on the first day of fall semester.

Nearly three quarters of the members cast a vote, FA President Laura Frey said in an email obtained by Central Michigan Life.

The FA has no plans to release the vote count, Frey said when reached for comment. The numbers were not being released to members.

The contract was tentatively agreed upon Dec. 1 at the Isabella County Courthouse after about 14 hours of bargaining. The agreement allows the FA to keep MESSA for health care if members absorb premium increases but includes no salary changes from the university’s original offer made before the fall semester began.

Robert Vercruysse was the primary attorney representing CMU in the FA case, said CMU Legal Counsel Manuel Rupe in an email. He is paid $290 an hour. Gary Fleak, of the same law firm, assisted him with the case for $245 an hour.

“As with most law firms, the hourly rate is different depending on the attorney’s years of experience in a particular practice area,” Rupe said.

Vercruysee, Murray & Calzone is a law firm from Bingham Farms that specializes in labor and unemployment issues. The firm has been representing CMU in the faculty case from July 2011 to January.

The invoices, obtained by Central Michigan Life through the Freedom of Information Act, include all payments to the firm from July to Oct. 31, 2011.

Legal work for this time included fact-finding hearings, unfair labor practices filed by both sides and an injunction to send the FA back to work after their strike on Aug. 22.

Not included in the $77,000 is payment for any work on the case since Oct. 31, including the 14-hour bargaining session to reach a tentative agreement Dec. 1 where Vercruysse was present.

Also not included is any legal work provided when CMU released its “final” offer on Nov. 11, or rejected the FA’s counter offer Nov. 22.

“For litigation matters in which a law firm is defending CMU, the legal services are paid through the Michigan Universities Self-Insurance Corporation,” Rupe said.

It was not answered whether any tuition money was used to pay the firm.

Vercruysse declined comment Thursday regarding the FA case.

On the topic of his salary, he declined comment on behalf of himself and CMU.

“I don’t think that’s really public information,” he said.

In addition to the faculty case, CMU has paid the firm about $118,200 during the invoice’s time frame to represent the university in several other cases. These include cases titled the Hari Bidasaria United States district court case, Wilson arbitration, and CMU office professionals vs. CMU.

Central Michigan Life is investigating these cases further.

In total, CMU paid Vercruysee, Murray & Calzone more than $195,200 for the four-month period.

Chris and Lucien Stairs, right two, wait outside the Lake Michigan Room of the Bovee University Center Thursday afternoon after their father, David Stairs of the Art and Design department, left, voted. "I hope it passes," David said. (Staff Photographer/Brooke Mayle)

The Central Michigan University Faculty Association has ratified its tentative 2011-2014 contract, according to an email sent to members Thursday night obtained by Central Michigan Life.

Nearly three quarters of the FA members cast a vote, FA President Laura Frey said in the email.

Faculty Association President Laura Frey

The contract was tentatively agreed upon Dec. 1 after 14 hours of bargaining facilitated by Isabella County Circuit Court Judge Paul H. Chamberlain.

It allows the FA to keep MESSA for health care if members absorb premium increases, but includes no salary changes from the university’s original offer made before fall semester.

“We are pleased that the members of the CMU Faculty Association have ratified a new, three-year contract with the university,” Director of Public Relations Steve Smith said in an emailed statement.

“Without question, the extended process that ultimately resulted in this agreement was challenging and, at times, divisive. We must now move forward as one university and do all that we can do – together – to make this institution even stronger.”

The court meeting was originally held to determine if a preliminary court injunction against FA work action would be made permanent.

The FA had been working without a contract since CMU declined to extend it past its expiration of June 30.

FA members struck the first day of classes and held other demonstrations several times throughout the fall semester.

Keep checking cm-life.com for more details.

“It was realized in mid-October that additional funding would be needed to address the research and clinical components for the startup of CMED,” founding CMED Dean Ernest Yoder said in an email. “Following that, additional time was needed to clarify and expand how much additional funding would be needed.”

Dean of the College of Medicine Ernest Yoder talks briefly to the Board of Trustees about the College's latest progress in the President's Conference Room in the Bovee University Center. (Photo by Kaitlin Thoresen/Assistant Photo Editor)

Provost Gary Shapiro said in a release to the campus community Nov. 11 that CMU estimates the startup cost for CMED is “likely to exceed $30 million,” with an additional $3 million in annual support. The university initially set aside $25 million over five years to fund CMED startup.

Original plans for a teaching-only College of Medicine did not align with revised Liason Committee on Medical Education standards, which require research and clinical components as well, Yoder said.

The LCME visited campus Nov. 13 through 16 to decide if CMED will earn preliminary accreditation.

“The latest cost estimates include these components with about 30 percent of the increase earmarked for research and 70 percent for clinical,” Yoder said.

Shapiro told CM Life in December that CMU does not tag dollars, so he does not know how much money from tuition has gone toward funding CMED.

“Although we don’t tag dollars, we have not raised tuition to pay for the College of Medicine,” he said.

Total funding for CMED is coming from one-time capital reserves and operating funds that have been set aside in the operating budget for startup costs, including capital reserves budgeted in unrestricted net assets, Shapiro said in an email.

The $3 million in additional support is budgeted with several other revenue streams, Shapiro said. Tuition and fees at full operation will approach $19 million a year. Clinical practice and contracts are currently at approximately $10 million a year and are expected to increase. The plan for development endowment is to reach $1 million annually. GME funding (CMED partners) is currently $17.6 million a year.

Yoder and Shapiro did not say how many years the additional $3 million in annual support would be collected.

“The university’s $3 million support will be part of an overall operating budget for the College of Medicine of nearly $70 million,” Shapiro said.

LCME will vote in February to decide if CMED will receive preliminary accreditation; CMU plans to receive a letter regarding the results in March.

Faculty Association President Laura Frey

CMU’s Nov. 11 offer allowed FA members to keep MESSA only until June 30 and under certain conditions.

The offer would provide a 2012-13 salary increase of 1.25 percent plus $830 to members, and a salary increase of 1.5 percent increase and $835 in 2013-14.

The proposed contract, obtained Wednesday by Central Michigan Life, also excludes College of Medicine faculty from the bargaining unit at the university’s request. Originally, CMU proposed to also exclude coaches hired after July 1, 2011, and any other professional program.

Under the contract, CMED tuition remission would be capped at the in-state doctoral graduate cost. Also, a study committee to review issues related to ProfEd would be created.

In addition, the contract states if a faculty member goes on total disability leave, the member’s college would only be obligated to hold a tenure-track position available for two years, instead of four, in case the member returns to work.

Faculty salary for supplemental activity such as summer sessions, off-campus/online courses and overload work would be capped at $2,750 per credit hour. However, the earnings formula would remain unchanged.

The contract would also allow CMU to void a course development contract if the course is not completed within the contracted timeframe.

Faculty members were informed of the tentative contract terms on Dec. 12. There will be a repeat of that information at a 11 a.m. meeting Thursday at French Auditorium in the Education and Human Services Building.

Members will vote to ratify the contract from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Jan. 11 and 12 on campus, FA President Laura Frey said. The vote will be held in the Lake Michigan Room of the Bovee University Center, according to an email obtained by CM Life.

There has been no discussion of what will happen if the members vote “no” on the contract, Frey said. The FA has not decided if it would appoint a new bargaining team in that situation.

Trustee Sarah Opperman

The symbolic vote, taken Tuesday, passed with a 52 percent majority. Chairwoman Sarah Opperman responded by stating the board was still confident in the leadership of the two.

When the meeting opened for public comment, student Senators Michelle Campbell and Chris Benison, who introduced the no confidence motion at A-Senate, took the floor.

“We expect the CMU Board of Trustees to address this no confidence vote with the seriousness it deserves,” Benison said. “Once again, as student representatives of the Academic Senate, we will hold this board accountable for its response to this no confidence vote.”

All seven college deans, including the College of Medicine Founding Dean Ernest Yoder, presented a similar statement at Thursday’s board meeting.

“Any effort to undermine their leadership at CMU is detrimental to this institution,” said Charles Crespy, dean of the College of Business Administration.

Psychology professor Bryan Gibson also took the floor for, urging the board to dismiss Ross from his position as president immediately.

There will be strong opposition to whatever action Ross takes, whether it is the medical school or other initiative, and Gibson said he thinks that doesn’t bother Ross.

“His presidency has been crippled by his actions,” he said.

Loud applause followed from faculty in the overflow room next door.

The board listened to the public comments, but did not respond directly.

“There are certain roles as chair. One of those is not saying something when you’d really like to. But that has been the policy,” Opperman said. “I will try to not directly respond to comments made other than to thank all of those that have.”

Opperman talked during a press conference about the number of people that are angry about the administration.

“I think it’s a small part of university, from what I see, that is feeling very uncomfortable,” Opperman said.

Trustee Sam Kottamasu will be appointed the board’s chairman next year; Opperman will become a Vice Chair.

“In 2012, we start with being productive and building trust,” Opperman said. “Let’s begin to heal as a university.”

The A-Senate vote of no confidence isn’t the only thing that Trustees discuss. Opperman mentioned being happy with that the Faculty Association and CMU have come to an agreement.

Negotiations have been ongoing to aid the contract impasse between CMU and the FA for more than five months.

A temporary agreement was reached last week with Isabella County Circuit Court Judge Paul H. Chamberlain; the FA will vote to ratify the contract early next semester.

The agenda for Wednesday’s committee meetings and Thursday’s formal meeting were released today.

Wednesday, the College of Medicine committee will provide updates on the Saginaw site and briefing of  discussion with the Liasian Committee on Medical Education during its mid-November visit.

Also Wednesday, Trustees-Faculty committee will also hold an open discussion to address CMED concerns.

Thursday, the Finance and Facilities Committee will vote to authorize contracting for the engineering, construction and start-up costs to renovate Anspach Hall. It will also vote to borrow funds for the graduate student housing project university line of credit, and other university needs.

The contracting for the planning, design and construction for a new data center will also be voted on.

The Academic and Student Affairs Committee will vote to approve two MCACA grants and public school academy activities.

The audit committee will vote on a motion to engage the external audit firm.

All meetings will be open and held in the Bovee University Center’s President’s Conference Room, except the Trustees-Faculty Liaison Committee, which will be held in the Lake Michigan room.

On Wednesday, the Academic and Student Affairs Committee will meet from 10:30 to 11 a.m., the Finance and Facilities Committee will meet from 11:10 a.m. to 12:10 p.m., the College of Medicine Committee will meet from 1:20 to 1:50 p.m., the Trustees-Faculty Liaison Committee will meet from 5 to 6 p.m. in the Bovee University Center’s Lake Michigan Room and the Trustees-Student Liaison Committee will meet from 6:05 to 7 p.m.

The meeting was previously scheduled to take place 7 p.m. Sunday at the Mount Pleasant High School auditorium, 1155 S. Elizabeth St. The location of the new meeting is not yet determined.

Thursday night, the FA and Central Michigan University reached a tentative three-year agreement to end the five-month contract impasse after meeting with Isabella County Circuit Court Judge Paul H. Chamberlain for about 14 hours.

A ratification vote will be scheduled for the first week of spring semester in January, according a press release by Frey and Director of Public Relations Steve Smith.

Both parties would like to extend their appreciation for the dedication of their bargaining teams as well as the facilitation efforts of Judge Chamberlain, the release stated.

The contract terms will not be released until it is ratified.

Keep checking cm-life.com for more updates.