2007-2009 IFO/MnSCU Agreement
Tentative Settlement
February 2, 2008

This document is not intended as a substitute for the actual language of the Agreement, and may not be used as authority in any dispute regarding the meaning or application of any provision of the actual Agreement.   The actual tentative Agreement can be found on the IFO web page at www.ifo.org .

Summary of the Significant Economic Changes

Salary Schedule Enhancements

• The value of all steps will be increased by 2% effective July 1, 2008.
• The value of all steps will be increased an additional 2% effective January 1, 2009.
• Five steps will be added to the top of the salary schedule.
• New minimum step for full professor in FY 09 (new step 13, old step 28).
• Steps renumbered to eliminate unused steps at the bottom of schedule.

Returning Faculty—Step Increases

• Returning faculty will receive a one step (2.4%) increase effective July 1, 2007 (with back pay).
• Returning faculty will receive an additional two step increase (4.8%) effective July 1, 2008.  

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Adjunct Faculty Pay Increases

• Adjunct and community faculty pay will increase to $1125 per credit on July 1, 2007 and to $1200 per credit on July 1, 2008.

Career Steps Extended

• The career steps (which had expired on June 30, 2007) will be extended to June 30, 2013.  The career steps provide an extra two step increase (4.8%) for faculty who have complete10, 20, or 30 years of service.

Health Care

• The employer annual contribution to the Health Reimbursement Arrangement (HRA) account for each insurance eligible faculty member will be increased from $600 to $800 on 1/1/09.
• The Early Separation Incentive (ESI) payments will be contributed to the tax-free postretirement Health Care Savings Plan (HCSP).  The ESI will be prorated for part-time faculty (except for participants in the Phased Retirement Program and Annuitant Employment Program, who receive an ESI based on full base salary).

Salary Review Adjustments

• Salary equity pool of $1.2 million for equity step adjustments in FY 09 (which starts July 1, 2008).

Professional Study and Travel

• Professional study and travels funds will be increased from $1115 to $1300 starting next academic year.

Summary of the Significant Language Changes

New Definitions
Article 5 (New Sections) – New definitions have been added to provide clarity for alternative sessions and release time and reassigned time.

Release time for IFO Business increased
Article 6, Section H – The IFO increased the amount of release time it receives from 200 to 250 semester credit hours for union officers to conduct IFO business. The IFO reimburses the employer for the release time.
Article 6, Section I – The language was changed to reflect and memorialize past practice that the IFO President shall receive a sabbatical at full base salary upon returning to his/her university.

Creation of Nine Month Appointments for all new faculty
Article 10, Section D – Beginning July 1, 2009, new hires (and faculty with athletic appointments who choose to renegotiate salary for a new athletic appointment) will be placed on a nine-month appointment of 168 duty days, that need not correspond with the academic year or any other faculty member’s nine-month appointment.
Current faculty may agree to be placed on this new nine-month appointment system with the agreement of the administration and the Faculty Association.
During the 2008-09 academic year, the University and Faculty Association shall convene a taskforce to review and consider the impact of nine-month appointments on faculty participation in governance.

Head Coaches to be Evaluated by Athletic Director
Article 10, Section G - Head coaches are to be evaluated by the Athletic Director and such evaluations shall include “consideration of total allocated funding relative to conference competitors.” Head Coaches may now be offered a six year appointment.

Creation of University Scholars
Article 11, Section N – Faculty members judged by their department and supervisor as outstanding are eligible to be appointed as a University Scholar. A President may appoint up to 5% of the University’s faculty as University Scholars but no more than the larger of 10% or 1 faculty member in any department may be appointed at a given time. University Scholars shall receive a lump sum payment of up to $6,000 for each year they are appointed as a University Scholar. This provision for University Scholars sunsets on June 30, 2013.

Creation of Endowed Chairs
Article 11, Section O – A President may establish an endowed chair position with outside funding (sources other than tuition and the legislative appropriation). An endowed chair’s salary shall meet or exceed the minimum salary for a full professor. A current faculty member who moves into an endowed chair position shall return to his/her prior position.

Creation of Taskforce regarding payment of stipends and honoraria
Article 12, Section B - A joint task force shall be convened to make recommendations regarding the payment of honoraria and stipends.

Summer and Alternative Sessions Defined and Workload Capped
Article 13, Sections A & B – A summer session is now defined as any session between the last day of spring and first day of fall semester. Total workload for summer shall not exceed 16 credits.

The settlement adds new language in Article 5 defining an alternative session as any session outside of fall, spring and summer (e.g., J Terms). Total workload for alternative sessions shall not exceed 16 credits.

Timing of Notice to Receive Retirement Benefits and for Participation in Phased and AEP Changed from October 1 to October 15.
Article 15, Sections A & B, and Article 11, Section C, Article 16, Section D -
Faculty shall now have until October 15 to submit:

1. a request for phased retirement effective the following fall semester;
2. a request for participation in the annuitant employment program effective the following fall semester;
3. notice of retirement prior to the start of the following fall semester in order to receive the two step increase to base pay in the last year of employment; and 
4. notice of retirement prior to the start of the following fall semester in order to receive Early Separation Incentive (ESI) benefits.

New language was added to Article 15 Sections A and B that provides that faculty who are denied a request for participation in phased or the AEP shall have 10 calendar days to provide notice of full retirement.

ESI benefit paid to HCSP
Article 16, Section D, subd. 3 - Early Separation Incentive (ESI) will now be paid to a post retirement Health Care Savings Account which is tax free. ESI amounts of less than $10,000 shall remain a taxable cash payment.

Change in Pay and Eligibility for Sabbaticals
Article 19, Section C – All full year sabbaticals will be paid at 80%. Faculty who are taking their first full-year sabbatical this academic year (2007-08) will receive back pay for the difference between 67% and 80% of their base pay. Faculty who are taking their third full-year sabbatical will be held harmless and will receive 90% pay for the 2007-08 academic year. Beginning next academic year (2008-09) all full year sabbaticals will be at 80% of your base salary.

 Faculty will be eligible for a mandatory sabbatical after one year of service following the award of tenure. When more than 25% of the department are eligible and request a sabbatical, sabbaticals will be granted first to faculty who have not yet received a sabbatical, and second to faculty whose sabbatical was postponed by this provision, and third to faculty with the longest service since their last sabbatical.

Fixed Term & NTT Faculty Prior Consideration for Probationary Appointments Modified
Article 21 Section A and corresponding changes to Article 29 Section D - The Letter of Understanding that clarified Article 29 Section D regarding prior consideration for fixed term and NTT for probationary appointments is modified by new language in Article 21 Section A so that not all fixed term and NTTs will qualify for prior consideration for a probationary appointment. Only those fixed term and NTT faculty who were first hired pursuant to a regular non emergency search will receive prior consideration for a probationary appointment.

Probationary Periods Are 5 Years Unless Waived by Mutual Agreement of the Faculty Member, the Association and the Administration
Article 21 Section E – Revises the rules regarding probationary periods shorter than 5 years. The shorter probationary period must be by mutual agreement of the faculty member, the FA and the administration.

PDP process for faculty with Multiple Appointments
Article 22 Sections D & E (and corresponding changes Article 25) -For faculty with Appointments in Multiple Departments, the multiple departments shall be included in the PDP process.

Student Loan Forgiveness Programs
Article 27 (New) Section J – Faculty may participate in student loan forgiveness programs with no corresponding reduction in salary or benefits.

Addressing Multicultural Perspectives Included as Permissible Evidence under Criterion 1
Appendix G, Criterion 1 – Adds to the list of possible evidence of teaching effectiveness the phrase, “and addressing multicultural perspectives in teaching methods.”

All Letters of Understanding will be incorporated into the contract.