Reflections from Institutional/Administrative Leaders

Graduate assistants unionized in 2002 and per-course faculty in 2007. Applications and enrollments have increased despite unfavorable regional trends, retention and graduation rates have improved, research funding is historically high, and student and faculty diversity have increased. Between 2015 and 2019, a new faculty hiring initiative expanded the size the full-time faculty by nearly 60 and a similar effort is currently underway to increase the number of graduate teaching assistants. The University of Rhode Island has not increased the size of its per-course faculty during the past decade. Prior to the 2014-2018 collective bargaining agreement, lecturers at the university had no career path. Quality of work-life is old expression with roots mainly in the goods-producing sector. Student evaluations of teaching have become an important issue in collective bargaining. Collective bargaining has always been a tool to correct historical social injustices.