The Bryant Faculty Federation
The Bryant College Faculty Federation, founded in 1967, is dedicated
to enhancing the professional stature of the faculty as well as the overall
academic environment of the College. Since its founding, it has served
well as the voice of the faculty.
Who Belongs?
The Federation is an association of your academic colleagues who are
committed to their teaching and individual intellectual pursuits but who
recognize that their well-being depends upon their working together. Current
members are drawn from all ranks and all academic departments.
What Does the Federation Do?
The Federation provides a forum in which faculty can exchange ideas
and develop co-operative relationships. The organization holds periodic
meetings, communicates with its members on important campus issues, and
offers a critical means for faculty to voice their concerns about conditions
that affect our working lives.
Why Join the Federation?
You will find ongoing contact with other faculty members who share
your commitment to enhancing the academic environment at Bryant. Moreover,
the Federation is the sole legal representative of the faculty in its negotiations
with the College administration. The Federation bargains on all issues
of salary, benefits, and working conditions. By joining with us, you give
strength to the faculty in contract negotiations and you promote our professional
interests on an ongoing basis.
How Does the Federation Benefit
Faculty?
The Federation was the first collective bargaining unit at a four-year
private institution of higher education. Since Bryant first showed the
way, thousands of our colleagues, at some of the nation’s best schools,
have made the choice to follow.
In the mid-1960s, the successful unionization of the Bryant faculty
solidified its stature and identity as professionals and made effective
its role in the development of Bryant as a quality institution of higher
education. The faculty’s solidarity and spirited professional commitment
have moved Bryant from a respected business training program to one of
the top business schools in the nation.
While our union is grounded in professional commitment, it has had its practical results. The faculty role in college governance through the Rank and Appointment Committee, Curriculum Committee, and the Committee on College Organization is the result of our collective hard work. The professional advancement opportunities offered under the Development Committee, such as the Fellowship Program and sabbaticals, exist at Bryant because we demanded them. The Federation has also fought hard to assure that merit pay, summer stipends, and instructional grants are adequately funded and equitably distributed. Indeed, all fringe benefits that the faculty currently enjoys were negotiated by the federation—including tenure, medical coverage, sabbaticals, retirement, and disability income. These benefits were not won easily and required a strong and cohesive effort of the faculty working through the Federation’s contract negotiation committee.
Finally, it should be noted that Federation members have access to (and discounts on) a host of financial, legal, travel, consumer, and educational benefits, as well as automatic enrollment into the AFT’s occupational liability insurance plan, which offers up to $1,000,000 in coverage.
Professional organizations draw their strength from their membership. We continually seek new members and the ideas and energy they can contribute.
Federation Officers, 2001-2003
President
Alan Olinsky—Mathematics
Vice President
Judith McDonnell—History/Social Sciences
Treasurer
Mike Hebert—Accounting
Secretary
Wallace Wood—CIS
Faculty Advocate
Sam Mirmirani—Economics
Executive Council
Includes officers plus:
Harsh Luthar—Management
Phyllis Schumacher—Mathematics
Joe McCarthy—Finance