Association Policy

1. Association Release Time Policy
2. POLICY RESCINDED 07-26-18
3. Association Code of Conduct Policy
4. POLICY RESCINDED 12-15-17
5. Communications
6. Legislative Review and Endorsement Process
7. Appointments to Committees
8. POLICY RESCINDED 03-02-23
9. Ballot Protocols in Executive Council Elections
10. Conferences and Conference Travel
11. Deadline for Reimbursement Requests
12. Employment Policies and Procedures
13. Portfolio Holder Laptop Policy
14. PSU Assistance Fund Policy

1. Association Release Time Policy
Adopted June 30, 2009
Revision Adopted January 26, 2023

PSU-AAUP is a volunteer activist organization and our work is dependent upon the dedication of bargaining unit members who give their free time to help improve wages and working conditions at PSU.

The Executive Council recognizes that some of the work we must do as the exclusive representative of bargaining unit members requires release from regular work duties. To that end, release time is funded by the Association from dues paid by the membership.

Release time shall be authorized as follows:

The Executive Council shall authorize release time to enable work on behalf of the Association. The Executive Council may authorize release time to any member of the Association.
Any member of the Executive Council may propose a release time project to the Executive Council for consideration.
The Executive Council shall not authorize release time as compensation for any work previously performed.
Release time shall be for work essential to the Association's mission.
The Executive Council shall authorize release time only for work that is otherwise unlikely to be performed on a voluntary basis because it is excessively burdensome or pressing.
The Executive Council shall not authorize release time unless the Treasurer certifies that the Association has a sufficient funds.
Release time shall be authorized only in accordance with the release time provisions in the Collective Bargaining Agreement.
Members on release time shall submit a memo to the President or their designee, once per year and at the conclusion of service, describing the work performed.
Members on release time are expected to be in regular communication with Association leadership and staff.
Members on release shall notify the President or their designee of all work absences longer than 5 days.

Revisions:

June 30, 2009: Initial Adoption

August 28, 2009: Revision 2 adopted with new release time form

October 15, 2020: 9. Add. 10. remove form and date and time task logging and replace with summary. Grant Amnesty to past due reports. 12. Delete requirement for release time recipients to be able to send additional reports to EC upon request.

January 26, 2023: Removed additional sentence jargon. Removed email address language from 9, communication provision. Updated instances of reporting to Executive Director and replaced with President or their designee.

3. Association Code of Conduct Policy
Adopted October 15, 2009

As an employer, the Association has an obligation to protect the Title VII rights of its employees to a work environment free of discrimination, hostility, harassment, hostility, or threats of violence. As an employee organization, the Association seeks to assure its employees work in an environment that, at all times, is consistent with both Title VII protections, but also the University’s Professional Standards of Conduct Policy. Nothing in this policy should be interpreted to obviate the Association of its duty to fairly and equally represent all bargaining unit members in those areas where the Association is the exclusive representative.

The Executive Council acknowledges that behavior that violates the University’s Professional Standards of Conduct Policy creates an unwelcome work environment for Association employees, builds mistrust, limits the Association’s ability to communicate truthfully, and generally undermines the Association’s ability to operate effectively both in internal matters, and in representing member interests with the public employer. The Executive Council affirms that the same standards of behavior expected of bargaining unit members in the University’s Professional Standards of Conduct Policy as it exists on October 9, 2009 shall extend to treatment of Association employees.

The Association expects Bargaining Unit Members who interact in any capacity with Association staff to, at all times, comport themselves in a professional manner, free of anger, harassment, discrimination, taunting, bullying, and/or threatening or violent behavior. Should a staff member feel intimidated, threatened or concerned by a bargaining unit member’s unprofessional behavior, they shall follow this procedure to limit their exposure to that unprofessional behavior.

First and foremost the staff member should notify the bargaining unit member who is behaving unprofessionally that their behavior is unprofessional and unwelcome. If that bargaining unit member does not change their behavior, then the staff member should communicate to the bargaining unit member that their behavior and the discomfort experienced by the employee will referred to the Executive Director. Following this communication, the staff member may discontinue the phone call, interrupt the bargaining unit member and ask them to leave the office, get up and leave the office themselves, and/or call the Executive Director, campus security or local law enforcement and ask for immediate assistance. The staff member may use their best judgment to immediately remove themselves from any and all unprofessional, threatening, or violent or potentially violent behavior
All unprofessional behavior should be reported to the Executive Director. That report should include the date and time of the occurrence, what occurred, and how the bargaining unit member responded when told their behavior was unwelcome.
If the bargaining unit member does not respond appropriately when their negative behavior is interrupted in step one, the Executive Director shall contact the bargaining unit member to discuss the behavior, its impact, the University’s Professional Standards of Conduct Policy, and this Association Policy.
If the Executive Director remains concerned for the welfare of Association staff after contact with the bargaining unit member, then the issue shall be brought to the Association President. The Association President may choose to bring the matter to the Executive Council
The Executive Director and Association President shall determine the best course of action to limit further exposure to that inappropriate behavior. The safety and well-being of Association staff will be the preeminent concern determining that course of action.
The Code of Conduct policy shall be posted in a conspicuous location at the PSU-AAUP office and on the PSU-AAUP website. Should a bargaining unit member feel they have been unfairly treated in the course of this policy, they may seek remedy through the Association Grievance Process in Paragraph Nine of the PSU-AAUP Bylaws.

4. Executive Director Position

Scope of Position

The Executive Director is responsible for the day to day operation of the Association as well as the organization’s long term strategic mission in all areas of operation. The position reports to the President of the Executive Council.

The Executive Director’s duties include, but are not limited to:

Administrative

Financial Reporting, Budgeting and Forecasting. Financial Account Management and Account Reconciliation.
Hiring, Firing, Evaluating, Restructuring, Supervising, and Managing the work flow of staff. All hiring and firing decisions are to be ratified by the executive council.
Association interface with all University departments and all outside organizations.
Interface with all vendors, and ensure that all Association financial obligations are addressed expediently and appropriately.
Provide the Executive Council with timely reports and information so they make timely and appropriate decisions as fiduciaries.

Collective Bargaining
Provide strategic and tactical expertise and leadership to the VP of Collective Bargaining and the Collective Bargaining Team in developing contract proposals, conducting negotiations, and managing the labor-management relationship. This includes participating in all collective bargaining and all labor management activities.
Contract Maintenance, Grievances, and Employee Discipline
Provide strategic and tactical expertise and leadership in dispute resolution to the VP of Grievances and the Grievance Committee and bargaining unit members in need of assistance. Process the disputes through the grievance procedure and resolve issues through whatever means available.
Provide guidance to the President and the Executive Council in the labor management relationship.

Legislative Action
Represent the Association, faculty, and Higher Education in discussions with other stakeholders statewide regarding issues that impact PSU, faculty, and higher education.
Bring legislative issues that impact faculty to the Executive Council for discussion and endorsement.
Act as lobbyist, and interface with any contract lobbyist PSU-AAUP hires, to seek the passage of legislation favorable to PSU faculty, and the election of candidates that may further our interests.
Provide strategic and tactical expertise on how we can expand our influence in the legislative process to promote quality higher education in Oregon.

Solidarity
Seek out and sustain relationships with other organizations with which we may partner to promote quality higher education in Oregon.
Provide strategic and tactical expertise to the Executive council regarding the Association’s participation on various committees and coalitions that could benefit PSU faculty and higher education.

Organizational Development
Provide training and backstop support for all member leader functions in the organization.
Provide strategic and tactical leadership in developing and sustaining communications to the bargaining unit.
Provide strategic and tactical leadership in developing programs and services that further engage and build the membership.
Provide backstop support in ensuring that the Association’s constitution and bylaws are followed.

Review and Contract

The chapter President shall be responsible for conducting the performance evaluation of the Executive Director each contract period. The review period shall be for all work completed between commencement of the contract period and its end, regardless of the number of hours or months the employee has worked.

Not later than 90 days before the expiration of the Executive Director’s contract, the chapter President shall initiate the review process. The President may convene an ad hoc committee consisting of the President, the Vice-President for Collective Bargaining and the Vice-President for Grievances and Academic Freedom. The committee, or the President, shall prepare a written review of the Executive Director’s accomplishments and performance over the previous period. The committee shall request input for the review from other Executive council members, as well as a self-evaluation from the Executive Director. Any self-evaluation submitted by the Executive Director shall be appended to the President’s report that is presented to the Executive Council.

Between 75 days prior and 60 days prior to the expiration of the Executive Director’s contract, the chapter President shall meet with the Executive Director to discuss the evaluation report, clarify issues, and gather information that may be helpful in elucidating the President’s report to the Executive Committee.

The chapter President shall present the evaluation, as amended from the meeting with the Executive Director, to the Executive Council. The Executive Director shall have the opportunity to present his/her self-review to the Executive Council he/she makes that request. The President shall provide the Executive Council with a recommendation for renewal or non-renewal of the contract, wage increases (e.g., Cost of Living Increases, Targeted Market Adjustments based upon comparators at Oregon Education Association (OEA) and American Federation of Teachers-Oregon (AFT-OR), and special Merit Bonuses), changes to the term of the contract, changes to the benefits package, and/or changes to working conditions.

The Executive Council shall make its final decision to renew or non-renew the Executive Director’s contract, and must notify the Executive Director of the decision, no later than 60 days prior to the expiration of the contract. Upon the decision to renew, the Executive Council shall provide the Chapter President with guidelines for the Executive Director’s employment contract. The Executive Council is encouraged to provide multiyear contracts and wages, benefits and conditions of employment that are comparable to the OEA and the AFT- OR. The wages, benefits and conditions of employment from the Executive Director’s previous contract shall serve as a benchmark and should be used as a floor in contract negotiations.

The chapter President shall finalize the employment contract through negotiations with the Executive Director. Any employment contract provisions agreed upon during those negotiations that were not contemplated in the guidelines provided to the chapter President shall be ratified by the Executive Council.

The Executive Director shall be hired on contract. No action shall be taken to remove the Executive Director, or diminish his/her wages, hours or working conditions, or non-renewal his/her contract without just cause unless it is a layoff for lack of funds, in which case the assertion that there is a lack of funds may be challenged. The Executive Director shall have the right to appeal the Executive Council’s decision directly to binding arbitration. The parties will split the cost of the arbitrator, but each party shall bear the cost of its own counsel.

Within ten (10) working days of receipt of notice of intent to arbitrate, the parties shall meet to attempt to agree upon an arbitrator. If the parties are unable to agree upon an arbitrator within five (5) working days of the meeting, the party initiating arbitration shall request the American Arbitration Association to submit a list of seven (7) arbitrators, none of whom shall be an employee of the Oregon University System unless both parties have agreed to the contrary.

Each party shall alternately strike one (1) name from the list of seven (7); the remaining person shall be the arbitrator. The party initiating the arbitration shall strike the first name.

If the arbitrator selected cannot hold the hearing or render a decision within the time limits provided herein and either party does not agree to an extension of time, a new list of seven (7) names shall be requested from the American Arbitration Association and the selection procedure as provided herein shall be repeated.

Expenses

The Executive Director will be provided with an Association credit card and an Association Check Card tied to the Association Checking Account. The Executive Director shall exercise prudence and due diligence in the purchase of products and services for the Association, and shall use the approved annual budget as a guideline for the expenditure of funds; purchases over $500 for individual items shall be made in consultation with the president and/or the treasurer.

The Executive Director may elect to have the Association purchase and provide service for a smart phone, or may use his/her own smart phone and the Association shall reimburse the Executive Director for the voice and data service charges incurred on behalf of the Association. The Executive Director shall secure the most cost-effective plan based upon usage needs. The plan and the bills shall be reviewed as necessary by the treasurer, but at least quarterly.

The Association shall reimburse the Executive Director for use of his/her personal vehicle for mileage at rate posted by the IRS at www.irs.gov. When traveling for the Association, the Executive Director may choose to expense actual costs with receipts, or may expense the published per diem rate published at www.gsa.gov.

The Association shall reimburse the Executive Director for 50% of the actual cost of internet access at his/her home office.

5. Communications
Adopted March 3, 2011

The Association agrees that a communication policy is essential to assure that consistent, representative messaging occurs. With 13 Executive Council positions and multiple volunteers and it is important that the Association adheres to this communication policy in order to ensure the correct messaging is put forth.

Communication Types

Internal communication is defined as any communication, in any form, to the bargaining unit or any subset of it.
External communication is defined as any communication, in any form, to the public. The public includes, but is not limited to, Portland State University as a whole, the media, allies (i.e. other unions, professional associations, lobbying partners), rallies, workshops, and students.
Unless otherwise specified, the term communication will be used in this policy to cover both internal and external communication.

Public Speaking

Executive Council members and Association volunteers may not speak on behalf of the Association unless their communication is endorsed by the Executive Council.
Executive Council members and Association volunteers may communicate approved endorsements, policies or positions.
All Executive Council members and Association volunteers maintain the right to communicate as both an individual faculty member and/or a union member.

Endorsements

For the purpose of this Policy the term “Endorsement” will cover a range of definitions including Endorsements, Sponsorships, Co-Sponsorship and Financial Support.
Any endorsements will be listed as American Association of University Professors – Portland State University.
Any request for endorsements must be submitted at least two days in advance of the Executive Council meeting.
When the Executive Council is not meeting for a period of more than seven calendar days, the Executive Council, through the approval of an Officer, may vote via email to give an endorsement.
All endorsements should be given with at least a one sentence explanation as to why the Association is endorsing.
The office staff will make all reasonable attempts to list the endorsement on the Association website (www.psuaaup.net) within seven calendar days.
Any paperwork relating to endorsements shall be signed by Association Officers in the appropriate order as available.

Mass Emails

Mass Emailing will be a highly utilized, cost efficient way to communicate internally, but too many emails can begin to be ignored by internal constituencies.
The Association will work to send out one mass email a week to the bargaining unit that will include all relevant communication.
Additional mass emails to the bargaining unit will only be sent out by Executive Council vote or by approval of the President. If the President is not available, approval may be received from officers in the respective order.
Exceptions to this rule include surveys, contract or election votes and bargaining updates.
Bargaining updates will be sent out at the approval of the VP for Collective Bargaining or the Chair(s) of the Contract Action Team.

Communication Infrastructure

All communication infrastructure will be maintained by the Association staff.

Recommended Communication Strategies

All Committees/Task Forces should appoint one person to be in charge of communication on behalf of the group. That person will typically be in charge of finalizing written communication and presenting verbal communication to the public.
All messaging should be strategic. The purpose of the message should be clear. Three to five bullet points should be utilized to convey that message.
When feasible, all communication should be vetted by the Executive Council or the respective Task Force/Committee.
An Executive Council member or Task Force/Committee member should sign for each written communication that is sent out.

6. Legislative Review and Endoresement Procedure
Adopted April 7, 2011

The Executive Council will appoint a Legislative Committee to review proposed or potential legislation. The Legislative Committee will be the Association’s deliberative body on all potential legislation.

The legislation tracked by the Association will fall into five broad categories:

Oregon University System, Higher Education, Faculty (includes legislation on Guns on Campus and other public buildings and intellectual property as it relates to faculty and research)
Education in general (legislation affecting K-14 with potential corollary impact on Higher Education policy)
Public Employee (this includes PEBB/OEBB health insurance offerings, PERS, PECBA)
Labor Issues in general (health insurance system changes, FMLA, OFLA, Minimum Wage Laws, workers compensation)
State Government fiscal and budget issues (includes legislation on Revenue and Taxation)

The Executive Council recognizes the priority of category 1, the one where our input on potential legislation is unique. The proposed legislation in the other categories are more effectively lobbied by the other labor organizations more experienced in the political process, that have endorsed and elected candidates, and have access, clout and leverage with legislators whom they have supported.

The Association will monitor and lobby potential legislation through the following process:

The Executive Director will review all introduced bills and establish tracking mechanisms for the potential legislation that fall in the five categories above.
The Legislative Committee, in consultation with the Executive Director, shall review and recommend to the PSU-AAUP President positions, amendments, and degree of support for potential legislation that fall in Category 1. The President will review the recommendation and accept, reject, or refer it to the Executive Council for approval. If the President refers a recommendation to the Executive Council, the potential legislation and the Legislative Committee’s recommendation will be placed on the next Executive Council agenda if a meeting is scheduled within seven days, or it will be brought to a motion via email as per Executive Council Standing Order 02.
The Executive Director will participate in lobbying potential legislation in the other categories consistent with our interests as public employees to the degree he deems appropriate to supplement the efforts of our coalition partners.
Nothing in this policy will prohibit or limit the executive council from taking a position on any potential legislation of interest. Before a motion is entertained by the Executive Council on a piece of legislation of interest, any Executive Council member may request the President to request the Legislative Committee review of that legislation. The Legislative Committee will review the potential legislation and provide a recommendation to the President as per paragraph 2 as expeditiously as possible.
Any concepts for legislation created and introduced by the Association shall be deliberated, accepted, and written by the Legislative Committee and subsequently approved by the Executive Council. Requests for legislative concept creation should be brought to the legislative committee by the President.

7. Appointments to Committees
Adopted Setpember 21, 2015
Revision Adopted January 26, 2023

Purpose:

This policy is established to provide consistent procedures for the appointment and oversight of PSU-AAUP members appointed to represent the Association on committees. All applicable appointments shall be made by the President and be subject to ratification by the Executive Council.

Applicability:

This policy shall apply to the appointment of representatives to committees, task forces, strategic initiatives or any other external workgroup to which PSU-AAUP has been invited to send, nominate, or appoint a representative. Only dues-paying members of the Association are eligible to be appointed to such committees.

Procedure:

The President shall announce the opportunity for appointment and solicit interest in the appointment. The President may ask the Executive Councilors to provide the names of potential appointees.
The proposed appointment shall be placed on an upcoming Executive Council agenda. The agenda item shall include a statement from the nominee explaining their interest in the position.
The Executive Council shall accept or reject the nomination by a majority vote.
Once the nominee is appointed, the appointment will be confirmed in a letter of appointment from the President to the appointee to include the title of the committee, the expected time commitment, the term of the appointment, and the expected outcomes of the committee, if any.
The President or their designee will check in with the appointee on a regular basis for a progress update on the committee’s work. Periodic updates will be made to the Executive Council by either the President or the appointee.
Any recommendations for actions made by the member to the Executive Council shall be placed on an upcoming executive council agenda, and member representative shall be asked to present the report and their recommendation at the Executive Council meeting.
Once the appointment is concluded and the appointee has submitted their final report, the President shall send a letter of closure to the appointee acknowledging their contribution. The appointee shall be placed on the list of members to thank at the annual meeting, shall be automatically entered into any activist prize raffle or drawing (if applicable), and their service will be acknowledged in a communication to the membership by the President.

Revisions:

September 21, 2015: Initial Adoption

January 26, 2023: Added - dues-paying members of the Association under Applicability. 1. Added - President announces the opportunity for appointment. Deleted need for President and Executive Director to meet before consulting with EC. 4. Removed requirement for a check-in schedule written into appointment letters. 5. Removed instances of Executive Director and replaced with President or their designee.

9. Ballot Protocols in Executive Council Elections
Adopted February 11, 2016
Revised March 2, 2023

Purpose:
This policy establishes a consistent, recognizable format for ballot entries for Executive Council elections.

Applicability:
This policy applies to the ballot statements and ballots in elections for the Executive Council.

Need for the Policy:
Since 2011 a common ballot format and procedure has been used in presenting nominees to the membership in Executive Council elections. The format of the ballot includes two sections:

a ballot entry header - this includes the nominee's previous service to PSU-AAUP, AAUP-Oregon, and National AAUP as well as the nominee’s rank or title, Department, and employee category.
the nominee’s ballot statement, not to exceed 150 words.

The ballot entry header and the nominee’s ballot statement constitute the ballot entry for any election.

Policy:
The Ballot for open Executive Council positions will follow the format established in this policy.

Date and Time of the Election

The election announcement, and the ballot, shall clearly state when the voting period begins, the length of time voting shall remain open, and how the election shall be conducted.

Order of Positions and Candidates

The ballot will list open positions, and the candidates for those positions, in order of responsibility as follows:

President
Vice President for Collective Bargaining
Vice President for Grievances and Academic Freedom
Vice President for Membership and Organizing
Vice President for Communications and Public Relations
Vice President for Legislative and Political Action
Secretary
Treasurer
Councilors at Large

Nominees for each position will be listed in alphabetical order.

Identification of term, number of positions open, and the number of candidates

For each open position, the ballot shall identify the number of candidates for the position, and any special circumstances to the election, i.e. if an open position is for the partial term (the ballot will assume the election is for a full term position unless otherwise noted).

For positions in which there is more than one seat open, such as Councilors at Large, the ballot shall identify how many seats are open and how many votes can be cast for those seats.

Candidate Statements

Candidate statements are strictly limited to 150 words, as per the PSU-AAUP Constitution. All candidates should be encouraged to submit a ballot statement. The author of the ballot statement must be identified beneath the ballot statement. Neither the Nominations committee, or staff shall alter a candidate’s ballot statement, nor shall they provide any editorial assistance in the drafting of the statement. If statements are submitted that exceed the word count, or that misrepresent the nominee’s present or past AAUP service, they shall be returned to the candidate. Ballot statements that misrepresent present or past AAUP service will not be included on the ballot.

Ballot Entry and Ballot Entry Header

All ballot entries will follow the following format:

Position Name (Number of Candidates. Vote for how many positions)

Candidate Full Name (First Name Last Name)
Any PSU-AAUP Elected Officer positions held (present and past), any PSU-AAUP Appointment positions currently held, any AAUP-Oregon Elected and/or appointed positions held, present and past, any National AAUP elected and/or appointed positions held, present and past.
PSU Rank or Title. Department. Employee Category (AP, T, or NTTF)

Candidate Statement not to exceed 150 words

[This statement was submitted by nominee or name]

A thin line shall separate each ballot entry

A thick line shall separate positions open

Distribution:
Each winter term, this policy should be provided to the nomination and election committee, once they are appointed, and to each nominee for executive council office. It should also be posted on the PSU-AAUP webpage with Association Policies.

Revisions:

March 2, 2023: Added two new positions since created (VP for Communications and Public Relations and VP for Legislative and Political Action). Removed each January as part of distribution to the nomination committee and replaced with each winter term, once they are appointed.

10. Conferences and Conference Travel
Adopted March 3, 2016

Purpose:
This policy is established to provide a framework for the payment and/or reimbursement for Conferences and Conference Travel.

Applicability:
This policy applies to elected and appointed member leaders.

Policy:
Training is provided and funded by member dues to build and enhance the ability of the Association to provide advocacy for its membership. The Executive Council will fund Conferences and travel to/from conferences that will provide training and guidance to member leaders in the performance of their elected or appointed positions, as applicable.

As such, while the Executive Council acknowledges that all faculty members do important work in their area of interest, and that the presentation of their scholarly work at Conferences is intrinsic to their work as academics, the support of faculty members to present papers on their scholarship is not consistent with the mission of the Association to advocate for and behalf of its membership, as defined by the PSU-AAUP Constitution Article 1. The Association is unable to support faculty members to present papers at or attend conferences for their scholarship, even if those conferences are sponsored by affiliates of PSU-AAUP.

The Association shall budget for Conferences and travel for member leaders to attend the required business meetings for chapter leadership at the AAUP Annual Meeting, the AAUP Summer Institute, the Annual conference for the National Center for the Study of Collective Bargaining in Higher Education, Oregon LERA training, Oregon AFL-CIO training, Cornell School of Labor Relations Online worker institute, and other similar trainings as available.

Conference attendance and travel for members and member leaders shall be approved by the Executive Council in advance. No reimbursement shall be made for conferences or conference travel that was not pre-approved by the Executive Council.

Expenses eligible for payment

The Executive Council will pay or reimburse conference tuition and fees, all travel to and from the conference (air and ground), and meals (3 meals per day). Actual receipts may be submitted for meals, or the member may expense per diem at the IRS approved rate for any meal that is not provided by the conference as part of tuition and fees, or any travel expense that is not part of transportation costs.

Member leaders whose conference attendance and travel is approved can either pay all expenses and seek reimbursement from PSU-AAUP, or request PSU-AAUP staff to pay the conference tuition and fees, and airfare (if applicable) and the member can then request reimbursement for ground travel, hotel, and meals, or any combination thereof.

All requests for reimbursement shall be on the PSU-AAUP Reimbursement Request form. All original receipts shall be taped to and 8 ½ x 11 sheet of paper and attached to the reimbursement form. The reimbursement form shall be signed by the submitter.

Timelines for Reimbursement

Reimbursement requests should be submitted to the Executive Director with 60 days from the return from the conference. All reimbursement requests must be received by December 31 of the year of attendance; any reimbursement request submitted after December 31 of the year of attendance may not be approved.

Implementation:

This policy shall be implemented upon approval.

11. Deadline for Reimbursement Requests
Deadline for Reimbursement Requests for Approved Association Expenses
(Adopted May 26, 2016)

Purpose:
This policy is established to clarify deadlines for reimbursements requests for approved Association expenses, and requests for payment of awards from Association award activities, from members and staff.

Applicability:
This policy applies to the payment of reimbursement requests for approved Association expenses and the payment for awards from Association award activities with Association funds.

Policy:
The Association operates on a fiscal calendar from January 1 to December 31 of each year. As required by the Association’s audit process, the end of the fiscal year is the formal closing of the books for the fiscal year.

The final deadline for all reimbursement requests shall be as follows:

Regalia Reimbursement - January 15 for the academic year that ends in the Association fiscal year (i.e. December 31, 2016 for the 15-16 AY)
Conference and Travel Reimbursement - January 15
Award collection - January 15
Vendor invoices - January 15

12. Employment Policies and Procedures

Adopted February 9, 2017; Revision adopted January 20, 2022

Click for full PDF

13. Portfolio Holder Laptop Policy

Adopted May 17, 2018
Revised March 9, 2023

Purpose:

This policy is established to provide reasonable safeguards and controls over the use of Association laptops when provided to member leaders who have portfolios to perform duties for the Association.

Applicability:

While this policy applies to all members who may borrow Association computers to perform duties for the Association, the policy is specifically designed to address the needs of elected or appointed member leaders that are portfolio holders who do not personally have a computer to manage those portfolios. These member leaders may request the Association provide a computer to perform those duties.

General Provisions:

Portland State University provides members with computers to perform duties for Portland State University. While members are allowed to use those computers outside normal work hours for personal business and this could include Association business, as a matter of policy the Association has determined that such use should be kept to a minimum and should not involve use that would leave records of activity that are proprietary to the Association (such as confidential memos, bargaining notes, strategy documents, member lists, etc.).
A member leader who needs a computer for their portfolio must submit a request to the Association President or their designee. The request will be forwarded to the Finance Committee, to be considered for approval.
If approved, the Association will either purchase a computer or provide one that is available.
The computer will remain the property of the Association and is on loan to the portfolio holder for the duration of the time they are managing the portfolio.
The portfolio holder will sign a receipt for the laptop that accepts responsibility for the computer and shall sign the agreement established in Appendix A.

Revisions:

March 9, 2023: Removed brand specificity of computer from Provision 3. Removed any mention of Executive Director and replaced with President or their designee. In Appendix A (13), replaced Membership Coordinator with Administrative Director.

14. PSU Assistance Fund Policy

Adopted July 16, 2020

Revision Adopted December 20, 2021

Purpose: To establish the PSU-Assistance Fund to provide financial support to PSU-AAUP members in need

Applicability: This policy applies to PSU-AAUP Members

Eligibility:

PSU-AAUP members who earn the 110% of the median salary of PSU-AAUP members or below are eligible for assistance. Eligibility for support may be modified by the Executive Council.

Policy:

Natural disaster, personal tragedy, and financial hardship can happen unexpectedly. To support PSU-AAUP members in a time of need, PSU-AAUP has established the Assistance Fund where members and the community can donate into this fund. Members can make donations to the fund and members in need can apply for assistance and relief.

The goal of the fund is to provide financial support for eligible AAUP Members who are experiencing financial hardship. “Financial hardship” may include but is not limited to circumstances such as sudden loss of income; housing insecurity; family crisis; urgent need; unanticipated or catastrophic losses, or loss of wages from work stoppage (strike). This fund will provide no more than $500 to members who request the funds and to the extent that funds are available.

When a member expresses a financial hardship as the reason for discontinuing their membership, and their membership application falls under the annual cancellation policy as outlined in association bylaw 15, then the assistance fund can be activated, for that member only, by a vote of the EC. This will be regardless of the member’s salary and the request shall not exceed $500. The member will need to submit an assistance fund application, and the application is subject to the process outlined in this policy. The member must continue to pay dues at least until the cancellation period, in order to be eligible for the assistance fund. The member is not eligible to receive the specific assistance outlined if they apply during the months of July and August. There is a limit of no more than 5 members receiving this type of assistance per fiscal year.

Application Process:

Members fill out an online application to help ensure all funds are distributed efficiently and equitably. This application will be located on PSU-AAUP website when funds are available. When funds are available, that availability will be announced in Member News. The application seeks personal information such as name payable to, mailing address, email address and amount requested. In addition, the application will have an optional “type of hardship” checkbox and a mandatory “confirmation of hardship” checkbox. This information is collected to show that the payment(s) are not for AAUP’s or PSU’s benefit. The application is sent to the Assistance Fund Committee to be processed.

Members are eligible to apply and receive support twice an academic year if funds are available. Members may receive no more than $500 in one academic year. The maximum amount a member may request is $500 per request. Members may submit assistance applications up to two times per academic year. Multiple applications from the same member cannot be for the same hardship in one year. Should the total amount of requested support exceed the amount of money available, either through Executive Council allocation from general funds or from solicited donations, the Assistance Fund committee will prorate the individual member award amount based on the funds available so that all members requesting support can receive funding. Checks will be issued to the members with the lowest annual salary to the highest annual salary.

To control the application flow, the application will open when funds are made available by the Executive Council, or when the Executive Council acts on a request from the Assistance Fund committee that a donation window be opened, and donations are to be solicited.

A small committee of AAUP members (one AP, NTT and TT) selected by the EC (in accordance with Association Policy 7) will receive and approve applications based on completeness, to verify the application is not a duplicate, verify applicant is eligible based and salary, and to verify the application is from a PSU-AAUP member. The committee will send a list of names and addresses to AAUP’s Executive Director so a check can be distributed to the members approved for assistance funds. All applications and information are kept in strict confidence.

Management of the Assistance Fund

The Executive Director (or Treasurer/President in the event the ED is not able to do so) will write the check for the member(s) requesting the funds. The committee/treasurer will ensure funds are being spent in compliance with the intent and the account not being overspent. The administrative functions for this fund such as marketing and customer service is interwoven with the existing AAUP administration office and other subcommittees.

In July 2020, the initial one-time funding of $30,000 will be provided by PSU-AAUP reserve funds as voted on June 18, 2020 by the Executive Council. The source of funding will vary over time based on funding needs. This may be ongoing funding from members as direct donations through a system or through payroll deductions, and fundraising.

Donations to the PSU-AAUP Assistance Fund

Donations to the PSU-AAUP Assistance Fund will be made through the Charity portal of GoFundMe.com, or similar provider. The PSU-AAUP Executive Director will establish and maintain the GoFundMe Account, and will arrange for disbursements from the GoFundMe account to the PSU-AAUP Assistance Fund. The disbursements to the Assistance Fund will after GoFundMe account fees and donation fees, if any. Donations to the GoFundMe account will be solicited by the Association in a “call for donations” in Member News. The donation period will be two weeks, during which time the Association will call for donations, and at the same time the Association will call for applications from PSU-AAUP members who may require assistance.

Disbursements of funds donated will be made consistent with the policy above.

Revisions:

July 16, 2020: Original

November 5, 2020: Removed Required quarterly cycle; limited eligibility to 110% of median annual salary rate for PSU-AAUP members; established prorate process for approvals that exceeded the monetary allotment by the Executive Council; established order of payment, lowest paid members first; created a process to solicit donations to the Assistance Fund to increase the amount available for disbursement.

December 20, 2021: Added third paragraph under Policy. Establishing additional guidelines when a member expresses financial hardship as the reason for discontinuing their membership.

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