PSUFA Signs Cross-Union Statement Rejecting Federal Investigation Into PSU Protests

PSUFA Signs Cross-Union Statement Rejecting Federal Investigation Into PSU Protests

PSUFA is proud to stand with our sibling campus unions and student leadership in rejecting the Trump administration’s spurious investigation into PSU. On Friday, March 14, representatives from PSUFA, PSU-AAUP, GEU, SEIU-503, and ASPSU presented PSU President Ann Cudd with a statement condemning these investigations and calling on university leadership to protect students, faculty, and staff from this baseless attack on academic speech and freedom of expression.

See the full statement below, including a plain text version at the end of this post.

STATEMENT (Finalized on 3/5/2025)

The Associated Students of Portland State University, the Graduate Employees Union at PSU, PSUFA AFT local 3571, PSU-AAUP, and SEIU Local 503 Chapter 89 reject the premise of the federally directed investigation into antisemitism at PSU. This investigation emerges not from a specific complaint from a PSU community member, but instead from the Trump administration's desire to intimidate higher education writ large into compliance with the administration’s highly partisan goals and agenda by threatening select institutions with having their federal funding revoked. To achieve this end, the Trump administration has decided to weaponize a highly controversial and contested definition of antisemitism that conflates criticism of state policy with discrimination in order to suppress free speech, political dissent, and the academic freedom that is essential to a rigorous college education. 

We reject, and call on PSU leadership to reject, this and all other efforts by the Trump administration to characterize student, staff, and faculty protest against war and genocide as antisemitic or supportive of terrorism. Protests against state violence which has been identified by the international community as long-form crimes against humanity is not anti-semitism, nor is support for Palestinian peoples facing genocide.

 We also reject harassment of any kind, particularly of our Jewish and Palestinian students, co-workers, and colleagues. We call on PSU leadership to protect students, staff, and faculty in response to this baseless investigation. We have a duty of care to all of the students who come to PSU and trust us with their education. It would be a failure of this duty to allow our students to be targeted by this spurious investigation. The stakes of this investigation for campus workers are high and the administration has an obligation to protect the campus community against baseless political investigations that seek to chill academic speech and freedom of expression.

Signatories

• The Graduate Employees Union at PSU (AFT/AAUP # 6666)

• SEIU Local 503, Chapter 89 (PSU)

• PSUFA AFT local 3571 

• Associated Students Of Portland State University

• PSU - AAUP

Patricia Vázquez Gómez documents the power of language

Adjunct Patricia Vázquez Gómez Explores Language and Migration Through Art

buuts’ (still) | Courtesy of Patricia Vázquez Gómez

According to her bio, PSU alum Patricia Vázquez Gómez “lives and works between the ancient Tenochtitlán and the unceded and occupied lands of the Chinook, Clackamas, Multnomah and other Indigenous peoples,” and even from a cursory glance it’s clear that this geographic split has influenced her multidisciplinary art practice. Vázquez Gómez has explored themes of migration and culture across borders in projects ranging from a mobile art gallery and cultural center in a retrofitted school bus, a performance produced in collaboration with day laborers at the MLK Workers center, and an installation including found objects left behind by migrants in the desert. Her forthcoming installation at the Portland Institute for Contemporary Art, titled ja’ / buuts’ / t’aan, continues her creative research into these themes, combining video and audio to create an immersive experience of language and place. ja’ / buuts’ / t’aan opens at PICA on March 13, and will remain on view through May 31, 2025. More info can be found here.

In addition to her teaching and professional art practice, PSUFA is excited to share that Patricia Vázquez Gómez has also accepted the position of Interim Chair of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice, serving on our union Executive Council beginning in Spring 2025. To mark the opening of her show at PICA and her new role in the union, we interviewed her about the show and what drives her creative work. 

PSUFA: How long have you been teaching at PSU? What dept./classes do you teach?

Patricia Vázquez Gómez: I have been teaching in the Art Department for about 7 years. The first class I taught was a seminar on the Ethics of Engagement for the Social Practice MFA students, I still teach that class. I have taught other classes for undergraduate and graduate students: Introduction to Art and Social Practice, BFA Research and Proposal, Vertical Lab and a few seminars.

What inspired this project? How did you get involved with this community/subject matter?

The project has a few origins. The oldest root is my long standing desire to learn an Indigenous language. I was born and raised in Mexico and I was brought up speaking Spanish. My family must have spoken an Indigenous language at some point, but that got lost, and with that, parts of the history and culture that I didn’t have access to. 

Shortly after arriving in the US, I did many years of work with immigrant and labor rights movements. Through that work I came in contact with Indigenous speakers, mostly from Mexico and Guatemala. My observation was that in the context of migration, Indigenous Languages disappear within a generation. That increases the languages’ chance of extinction. I'm not a linguist or an anthropologist and I am not approaching what I'm doing through the lens of those disciplines, but I definitely have had this longing for exploring the presence of Indigenous Languages from South of the border in the US.

Photo courtesy Patricia Vázquez Gómez

When I moved to the neighborhood where I live in NE Portland, I realized that maayat’aan is very present. I would go to the store, or to a protest, or to the food cart and hear the language. I learned there are a lot of families in the neighborhood using maayat’aan every day. I was surprised, but mostly very moved by having the language so alive in my immediacy! 

What do you hope viewers will take away from this project? Is there a kind of impact or action you'd like to see out in the world as a result of people spending time with this work?

What I am most interested in is the work having an impact on the families I have been working with, and particularly the kids. I want them to believe that their language is valued beyond the people who speak it. That if they wanted, they could use their language to engage in cultural production, as some folks are doing these days. That institutions and individuals would be willing to fund that production. One of the things I have learned through my research is that, at least in the Mayab (what we now know as Yucatán, México), it is more profitable to learn English than to continue speaking maayat'aan. If folks speak English they can have access to jobs in the tourist industry —"salarios de hambre" as we say in Spanish (starvation wages) but it is the only option that many Mayans have. But there's nothing in terms of economic advancement that comes with speaking maayat'aan. The very few folks making some money from speaking the language are cultural producers: writers, rappers, singers. So maybe it is through the cultural sector that we can start changing that.

PSU-AAUP Strike: What Adjuncts Need to Know

PSU-AAUP Strike: What Adjuncts Need to Know

What’s Going On With PSU-AAUP: As you know, PSU-AAUP recently declared an impasse in contract negotiations. This means that a strike is possible, should the last best offer from PSU management fail to meet with approval from AAUP membership. PSU-AAUP has asked its members to vote on whether or not to approve a strike, and is expected to announce the results of a vote in the coming days. This does not necessarily mean a strike will take place–in 2014, PSU-AAUP voted to approve a strike. Immediately after the vote, PSU management offered a revised contract that was accepted by union members, and averted the strike. However, all campus unions are preparing to stand in solidarity with full-time faculty in the event that a strike is necessary. 

What the Law Says: The Public Employee Collective Bargaining Act (PECBA) does not allow PSUFA to strike in solidarity alongside AAUP, and considers a refusal to cross a picket line (by employees not in the striking bargaining unit) as an illegal strike. This DOES NOT MEAN you can’t support the picket line, attend rallies, and engage in a range of solidarity actions. 

What the University Might Try to Do: It is possible the University will attempt to replace full-time faculty with adjuncts by asking us to pick up classes, research assignments, etc. This is known as “scabbing” in the labor movement; workers who fill in for striking union members are referred to as scabs. Last minute assignments or wage agreements this Spring are very likely the university's attempt to undermine a strike. You do NOT have to say yes to these asks; our Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) protects adjuncts who decline courses. CBA Article 8 Section 3.6 says: An Adjunct can decline any courses offered to them without penalty to their assignment rights. This declination must be in writing. Please reach out to PSUFA if you get a last minute assignment, or face retaliation for refusing extra work. 

How Adjuncts Can Support Our Full-Time Colleagues: In addition to saying no to extra work, there are lots of ways adjuncts can support our full-time colleagues. PSUFA will keep members posted on solidarity opportunities as our colleagues approach a potential strike date. Adjuncts can follow CLASS, the student-led pro-labor group on campus, for more information about student solidarity actions.

Are you ready to stand with our full-time colleagues right now? Sign the community strike solidarity pledge today!

Cuts and Confusion Threaten PSU’s Native Student Center

Cuts and Confusion Threaten PSU’s Native Student Center

Photo courtesy PSU NASCC

PSU’s Native American Student and Community Center (NASCC) opened just over twenty years ago, in October 2003, after many years of advocacy and organizing by Native students, alongside faculty, staff, alumni and community members. The center, which was envisioned as a welcoming “home away from home” for indigenous students according to an article marking the center’s 20th anniversary, serves as a hub for access to resources, community-building events, and a culturally specific safe drop-in space. 

But the widespread budget woes that have plagued the entire university in recent years have not spared NASCC. According to adjunct and student members of PSU’s native community, the center has experienced drastic reductions in operating capacity due to reduced revenue. The center, which must supplement university support through event space rentals in order to stay afloat, is now facing a nearly $40,000 budget shortfall. 

The reason? According to sources that contacted PSUFA to alert the wider university to the situation, in 2024 PSU failed to collect rental fees equal to that amount. In the months since, PSU, which is responsible for collecting rental fees while the center’s employees handle logistics, has only managed to recover around $2,000 of the outstanding fees. Meanwhile, NASCC workers have been left in the dark about when the funds will be recouped and what department or positions within the administration are ultimately responsible for this mess. This shortfall has compounded the effects of decreased rental demand during the weeks that Pres. Cudd installed riot police across campus in response to student anti-genocide activism. 

This deficit has resulted in reduced open hours and chronic understaffing that students say are negatively impacting the community NASCC was intended to serve. A student with first-hand knowledge of the situation said that PSU initially suggested reducing the center’s open hours from Monday-Friday 9-5 to just Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays from 10-3. Student workers pushed back on this idea, noting that with such limited hours the center could not function as a meaningful resource for students. A compromise was reached to keep the center open three days per week from 9-5, but students and faculty say that’s still not enough. Furthermore, lack of funding has led PSU to reduce the number of student workers employed by NASCC from approximately 11-12 in 2023 to just 4 as of November 2024. The remaining workers report having taken on additional unpaid work, including many duties previously held by the center manager position. This position has been vacant since the last manager resigned in protest over police presence on campus and underpayment issues. According to sources, a student worker is currently filling the role of manager with no increase in their hourly wage to reflect their increased responsibilities. 

What does this mean for PSU’s indigenous community? Individual students have complained to center employees about the loss of access to this space, as well as student and community groups that would normally utilize the space, including United Indigenous Students in Higher Education, American Indigenous Business Leaders, and mentorship programs facilitated by host nations. Moreover, PSU’s mismanagement and opacity in the situation has eroded trust with the native community. A faculty member with connections to the center said “this whole situation sends a message to our community,” and that “there’s no transparency,” and that “nobody knows how much PSU puts into the budget for the center.” One student told PSUFA that “they (PSU) know they messed up.” 

Image courtesy PSU NASCC

From a wider perspective, the issues at NASCC once again call into question PSU’s administrative efficacy. It’s hard to know exactly what is going on due to the lack of transparency endemic across university leadership and operations, and that confusion has only added to the frustration expressed by native community members. Most critically, this story casts doubt upon PSU’s commitment to being a minority serving institution. This element of the university’s mission statement is especially urgent as federal initiatives seek to undermine and dismantle programs that benefit minoritized groups within higher education. 

Everyone PSUFA spoke with emphasized the importance of NASCC to indigenous members of the PSU community. “Many indigenous students are first generation. So this place where we are likely to run into other native people (is important).” 

“I was going around telling people ‘go to the center, everyone is welcome there!’ And promoting the resources. Then come to find out it's not even open all the time, and when you do go in there the lights aren’t on, the computer lab is locked. Its supposed to be a hub for native students”

“I’m speaking about it because a lot of people don’t know what’s going on. I want to see PSU not only fix the financial issues that are affecting everyone, but I also want more acknowledgement to the center.”

Introducing Our 2025 Bargaining Platform!

Introducing PSUFA’s 2025 Bargaining Platform!

PSUFA is thrilled to present our 2025 Bargaining Platform! Based on the results of over 300 responses to our bargaining survey, our team put together a list of our top priorities–check it out below! These are the things YOU told us you need in order to succeed as an adjunct at PSU, and our amazing Bargaining Team is prepared to go to bat to get the best contract possible for all adjuncts! Check out our nifty graphic or scroll down for the full text-only list.

PSUFA 2025 Bargaining Platform

Adjunct professors and researchers are critical to the educational mission of PSU. When adjuncts get the resources and working conditions they need to succeed, everyone wins—from students to full-time faculty and staff. 

Together We Thrive

Fair Compensation

Adjuncts deserve fair pay, living wages, and raises for length of service

Equal Pay for Equal Work

End the two-tier system! Adjuncts deserve the same pay and benefits for the same work as their full-time counterparts

Job Security

Honor contracts and assignment rights

Real Benefits

All adjuncts deserve retirement benefits and access to health, dental and vision care.

The Support We Need

Adjuncts need better working space and resources to support their scholarly, professional, and artistic practices

Academic Freedom

Vulnerable faculty need guaranteed protections to speak the truth in their teaching and research

Transparency and Collaboration

Workers have a right to know how PSU is making critical decisions and the opportunity to shape the way our institution is run

Bargaining 101: The Bargaining Process

Bargaining 101: The Bargaining Process

Bargaining is about to begin, and that means it’s time for the next installment in our Bargaining 101 series! This semi-regular column in our email newsletters and on our blog and social media will feature learning resources and guides to make sure every adjunct can follow along and support our amazing team as we fight for a great new contract!

You know all about the power of collective bargaining and the fact that PSUFA has assembled an all-star team to negotiate a great contract for all adjuncts at PSU. But do you know how it all happens? If you’re curious to understand the process of collective bargaining in more depth, read on! Our handy graphic breaks it all down (text version after the jump!)

1. Prepare for Bargaining: PSUFA and Management establish teams and set ground rules

2. Direct Bargaining: Parties meet to review proposals with legal obligation to bargain in good faith for at least 150 days with an attempt to reach an agreement.

3. Mediation: If parties don't reach agreement after 150 days, either side can initiate mediation. After 15 days, an impasse can be declared.

4. Impasse: Within 7 days of declaring an impasse, both parties are required to submit final offers and cost summaries to mediator (our full-time colleagues in PSU-AAUP have just reached this stage in their bargaining process!)

5. Cooling Off: A 30 day cooling off period follows the publication of final offer. This time allows for further attempts at resolution.

6. PSUFA Can Strike: If no agreement is reached, PSU can implement its last, best, and final proposal. PSUFA can legally hold a strike and demand better than PSU's final offer.

Students Stand Up for PSU’s Future

Students Stand Up for PSU’s Future

Students gathered in PSU’s Urban Plaza Tuesday Feb 25 to protest the Board of Trustees

A new student-led group is pressuring the BoT to change course through activism and community organizing

In the months since President Ann Cudd announced plans to slash the university’s budget, groups representing all corners of the PSU community have expressed their disapproval. In addition to faculty unions like PSUFA, students have been some of the loudest voices to speak out against proposed cuts to faculty, programs, and student services. Now, a group of students calling themselves CLASS are organizing to fight for a better PSU. Their demands: quality education, student resources, qualified professors, and student unity. 

PSUFA recently spoke with several members of CLASS to learn more about their perspectives and how they plan to take action. (We are not naming the student organizers out of an abundance of caution with regards to their privacy.)

In social media posts, CLASS states “We are fighting for a better university for everyone.” They highlight spending on new construction and individual BoT members’ connections to real estate interests as particular points of concern. One student explained their dismay at “billionaires using our school to rename buildings and programs in their name. Jordan Schnitzer pays $10 million, which he can write off, and then we (PSU) have to pay $80 million (to complete the project). We continue to build more, while also being in a ‘budget crisis’.”

Influence over the board from wealthy donors and suspicions of potential conflicts of interest contribute to one of the group’s objectives, which is to require greater transparency from the University Foundation. (For more information on this issue, read about the proposed Public University Foundation Sunshine Act, which goes up for a vote in the Oregon legislature this week–you can add your own testimony in support of this bill here!) 

CLASS, which previously called itself the PSU Stop the Cuts Coalition, has allied with other student groups including MECHA and Kaibigan, as well as campus labor unions. (In case you’re wondering, CLASS is not an acronym for anything. The group simply felt it was an evocative name for their cause, and catchier than the one they started with.)

Speakers from student groups including Kaibigan, YDSA, and Mecha at Tuesday’s rally

“We've been working with YDSA recently as well, which means our meetings these days can run anywhere from 6 people to the mid teens. Just depends on who can make it on a particular week”  one of the student organizers told us. This coalition of student organizers recently came together to host a rally at PSU’s Urban Plaza on Tuesday, February 25, where speakers led a crowd in chants of “chop from the top,” and described what they viewed as greed and self-interest on the part of the Board of Trustees. “They say let knowledge serve the city but all I can see is students' money lining their pockets,” said one, while another encouraged attendees to “stand up for yourselves, stand up for your education!”

The students we spoke with emphasized the importance of solidarity and community, and talked about their outreach strategy. “We are trying to get a sense of what's important to the general student body, since we're hoping to activate more people into the fight. As an activist org, we definitely represent a specific subsection of the student body which is politically minded and wants to make positive change.”

“It seems like the biggest complaint is simply a fear of a loss of quality in the institution.  We're all pretty worried about the way PSU is being run like a corporation, and teachers we love are being treated unfairly and laid off. For us it's an issue of solidarity and class struggle.”

“Our goals are for the layoffs to be reversed, (to secure an) increased amount of funding from the state, and (to gain more) student/teacher control of the budget,” in the hope of improving PSU’s prospects for the future. 

“Our fears for PSU's future is that it will turn into a cheap facsimile of what it once was. A hollowed out husk that has been drained of all its resources by the rich real estate barons who are currently calling the shots… And eventually it will close.”

Want to support CLASS? For their next action, they are asking for adjuncts and other PSU community members to join a rally from Millar Library through downtown, focusing on real estate properties they say are connected to BoT members. You can find out more on their Instagram, @class.pdx and join the rally on Monday, March 3 at 12:00pm in front of PSU’s Millar Library. 

You can also send a letter to board members and administrators in support of CLASS’s goals using their online form.

Meet Your 2025 PSUFA Bargaining Team!

Introducing PSUFA’s 2025 Bargaining Team!

Drumroll please… PSUFA is proud to introduce our 2025 Bargaining Team! This all-star lineup of expert negotiators will be bargaining to get a great contract for YOU and all adjuncts at PSU. Thanks to everyone who filled out our bargaining survey and told us what you need to succeed, our 2025 team is prepared to take your demands to the table and win big for all of us! Read on to meet the team…

Katie Van Heest

(she/her)

School: CLAS/English Dept.

Years at PSU: 3

Fun fact: I was a judge for the Portland Regional Spelling Bee

Alli Schisler Blizzard

(she/her)

School: School of Social Work

Years at PSU: 10

Fun fact: I'm a resident of deeeep SE Portland and I love to re-center by popping up to Rocky Butte & watching the clouds clear over Mt. Hood

Vasiliki Touhouliotis

(she/her)

School: Honors College

Years at PSU: 3

Fun fact: I'm a PSU legacy! Both my parents graduated from PSU

Tim Finn

(he/him)

School: School of Business

Years at PSU: 6

Fun fact: I love to bake, and I once catered the desserts for my best friend's wedding (6 different cheesecakes!)

Alison Lutz

(she/her)

School: School of Art + Design

Years at PSU: 3.5

Fun fact: This is my second time serving on PSUFA’s bargaining team!

Anna Gray

(she/her)

School: School of Art + Design

Years at PSU: 15

Fun fact: I love writing poems using the closed caption sound descriptions of mystery tv shows

Carlos

Ok, Carlos isn’t really on the team, but this persuasive pug/mastiff hybrid will be on hand to provide expert advising through his human associate, Tim Finn.

PSU Is A Sanctuary Campus! What You Need To Know

Did you know that PSU is a sanctuary campus? What does it mean to be a sanctuary campus, and what protections does this status afford vulnerable faculty, staff, and students? PSU’s Women’s Resource Center has graciously put together a flyer with critical info about our sanctuary status and resources and info you can use in the event of an encounter with immigration officials.

English and Spanish versions of the flyer are below, followed by the full text of the English flyer.

PSU is a Sanctuary Campus, which means:

• PSU Campus Public Safety does not enforce federal immigration law and ICE.

• PSU will not consent to or facilitate immigration enforcement on campus.

• PSU protects student confidentiality under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).

Oregon is a Sanctuary State, meaning all law enforcement, including PSU Campus Public Safety, cannot use resources to detain people based on immigration status.

Does PSU Share Immigration Information with the Government? PSU follows FERPA, which protects student privacy. We do not share student immigration information with federal authorities unless required by law. PSU will not release immigration information to the federal government unless mandated by a court order or law.

When Does PSU Collect Immigration Information?

• Employment at PSU (required by federal law).

• Financial aid (for eligibility, but not shared outside financial aid).

• In-state tuition (Oregon Tuition Equity Law)

What If ICE Wants Information? 

Federal immigration officials need a subpoena to access PSU records. PSU employees must consult the Office of General Counsel before releasing any student information. Students have privacy protections under FERPA, and the University will defend those rights.

ICE on Campus? 

PSU cannot prevent ICE agents from entering public areas on campus. However, ICE cannot access private or restricted spaces (e.g., classrooms, housing) without a warrant signed by a judge.

Legal Assistance for Students: 

PSU’s Student Legal Services (SLS) offers free legal assistance, including immigration support from an immigration attorney. Go to pdx.edu/sls to request an appointment!

Local organizations providing free or low-cost immigration legal services include:

• Pueblo Unido - pueblounidopdx.org

• Immigration Counseling Service: 503-221-1689

• Catholic Charities: 503-542-2855

• Soar Immigration Legal Services: 503-384-2482

• Oregon State Bar Lawyer Referral Service  800-452-7636) for a 30-min consultation ($35)

If you see ICE... call the Portland Immigrant Rights Coalition (PIRC) hotline at 1-888-622-1510

If you or someone you know was targeted in violation of Oregon’s Sancuary Laws - call 

1-844-924-STAY

PSU Office of general counsel 503-725-2656

Federal immigration enforcement officers have no greater access to PSU records than any member of the public unless they have a valid subpoena. If federal immigration enforcement officers present a warrant or court order, university employees should immediately contact the Office of General Counsel for assistance.

Bargaining 101: Common Bargaining Terms

Bargaining 101: Common Bargaining Terms

As we gear up to begin bargaining at the end of the month, PSUFA is excited to introduce a new feature: Bargaining 101! This semi-regular column in our email newsletters and on our blog and social media will feature learning resources and guides to make sure every adjunct can follow along and support our amazing team as we fight for a great new contract!

You know what you need to thrive as an adjunct, but do you know the right lingo to bargain for it? The bargaining process itself is relatively straightforward, but can be confusing if you aren’t familiar with all the terms, stakeholders, and the many, many acronyms involved. That’s why we put together this list of common bargaining terms for our members, so you can follow along as our bargaining teams fights for a great contract!

Read on, and print out this nifty two-page graphic and keep it handy for in-person and remote observing for our upcoming bargaining sessions!

Bargaining Team: Group of 5-6 PSUFA members who negotiate with PSU Administration to secure a collective bargaining agreement that’s rooted in member priorities. On the other side of the “table” is PSU’s bargaining team.

CAT (Contract Action Team): A group of PSUFA members who support the bargaining process through strategy, member activation, and member communication.

NLRB: National Labor Relations Board

AFT: The American Federation of Teachers, which is the parent union of PSUFA

Ground Rules: Set of agreed-upon guidelines for bargaining, established at the start of bargaining

CBA: Collective Bargaining Agreement (our contract!)

Articles: Specific parts of the CBA covering different aspects of the contract. 

TA: Tentative Agreement(s) are reached at the bargaining table when both sides agree to close negotiations over a specific article.  

Bargaining Unit: Workers represented by a union based on their contract with the employer (this includes non-members as well as members!). PSUFA’s bargaining unit includes instructional and research faculty hired by PSU at less than .50 FTE. Remember, you have to actively submit a membership form to become a member.

PSUFA Members: Dues-paying members of the bargaining unit, whose support goes towards bargaining efforts, administering benefits funds for adjuncts, and advocating for adjuncts through grievances, ULPs, and other union capacities. Only members can vote to ratify the collective bargaining agreement.

CCL: Current Contract Language refers to the content in PSUFA’s current CBA, which goes through June 2025.

Unions at PSU: 

PSUFA: Our union! Representing part-time faculty and researchers at PSU.

AAUP: Full-time faculty and researchers at PSU

GEU: Graduate student employees at PSU including TAs and research assistants

SEIU: Non-instructional staff at PSU

 Ratification requirements: A simple majority (50% or greater) of dues-paying union members must vote in favor of a proposed contract in order for the contract to be ratified.

Austerity Impacts: PHIL Adjunct David Komito

Austerity Impacts

Adjunct David Komito On How PSU's Cuts Delete Institutional Expertise and Undermine Educational Goals

This is the second in a series of interviews with adjuncts at PSU who have been affected by the administration’s extreme budget cuts over the past year. The impacts of this austerity plan range from contract non-renewals to canceled courses, and affect the PSU community in ways that often contradict the university’s mandate to provide a high quality educational experience for all students. But figures and headlines don’t tell the whole story. In order to understand what is happening on the ground, PSUFA is interviewing adjunct instructors all term to learn about their experiences and paint a more detailed picture of how sweeping administrative actions affect educators and students firsthand. 

For our second interview, we sat down with David Komito (Philosophy) to discuss the recent cancellation of one of his course on Asian Philosophy. Prof. Komito, who has been teaching the subject at PSU for nearly ten years, shared his story with PSUFA in order to shed light on what is being lost in the administration’s rush to slash budgets.

PSUFA: Can you tell us about the class you were teaching that got cut? 

David Komito: For the last nine years I have been teaching PHL319U, An Introduction to Asian Philosophy, which is an overview of the major philosophical systems of India, Tibet, China and Japan. It is the only Asian Philosophy course taught in the Philosophy department. Four categories of students took the course: 1) students of Asian descent who wanted to know more about their heritage, 2) students majoring in an Asian studies degree of some sort who wanted to build their skills, 3) students with a general interest in the subject and 4) students with a Philosophy major or minor.

PSUFA: How did you find out your class was being cut?

DK: Like a number of adjuncts at PSU, I received an emailed notification from the department Chair that my two-year contract was being voided midway and the fall 2024/spring 2025 classes were being canceled. This, I was informed, was due to budget cuts. When I inquired further, I was informed that the department was committed to the course and wanted to offer it in the future, presumably by one of the remaining tenured faculty members. However, I don’t see PHL319 in this academic year’s schedule.

PSUFA: What do you see as the potential impact of losing this class on PSU? 

DK: PSU’s Philosophy faculty are very talented and I imagine one of them could develop a course to replace mine, but it would be very different in significant ways.  To the best of my knowledge, none of the faculty are actually trained in Asian philosophy, have the language skills or publications in the area, or have spent extensive time living in some part of Asia (as I have). From my point of view these limitations will make for a very different course and very different relationships with the students, particularly the students of Asian descent. In this respect, the loss of an Asian Studies expert undermines PSU’s stated goals of deeply serving minority students. 

From what I have heard, mine is not the only case of deleted expertise aligned with the university’s mission to serve minority students. I understand the need of the university to balance its budget, but injudicious cuts to the faculty will leave the student body and the institution significantly poorer for such decisions.

Are you an adjunct whose classes have been canceled? How have PSU’s budget cuts affected you? Share your story with us by emailing psufa.martha (at) gmail (dot) com

Stop the Cuts! Tips on Providing Public Comment at the Next BoT Meeting

PSU’s Board of Trustees meets Next Thursday, November 21 to decide whether to approve a budget that includes all the controversial job and program cuts they have recently announced—including layoffs for 91 NTTFs and major cuts to academic programs and student services. Do you have something to say about Cudd’s cuts? Now is your chance to tell the BoT to change course and invest our reserves in the students and workers that are the core of PSU! You can help stand up for the many adjuncts, full-time faculty, graduate employees, and students who care and will be affected by this extreme austerity program by signing up to provide public comment at the upcoming BoT meeting.

Is this your first time speaking at a board meeting? Do you need tips on how to prepare your testimony? PSUFA has got you covered! In collaboration with our colleagues at PSU-AAUP, we are excited to share this handy Board Testimony Worksheet to help you organize your thoughts and get ready to tell the board what you really think! You can use these prompts to craft your own “cheat sheet” in preparation for your testimony to the board. Remember, each registered speaker is allotted 2 minutes for their verbal testimony.

If you are an adjunct interested in presenting alongside PSUFA, please email psufa.erica@gmail.com and organizing@psufa.org to coordinate with our team ahead of the board meeting. Help us make sure adjunct voices are heard loud and clear!

Are you a student at PSU? Do you want to tell the board how these cuts will affect your educational experience? Check out our specially designed Board Testimony Worksheet for Students, so you can figure ut the best way to make your point and your voice heard!

Thanks to Victor Reyes, Executive Director of AAUP Oregon for creating and sharing these BOT testimony tools.

Don’t forget to email trustees@pdx.edu by 11:30 am on Wednesday, Nov. 20 (nest week!) to register for oral testimony. When registering, include your name, email address, affiliation, and the subject of your comments. You can also submit your written comments so that the board reads them before the meeting. Not providing public comment? Join campus unions and supporters in gathering outside ASRC at 11:15 on Thursday, Nov. 21 to observe the meeting as a group. Make sure to wear your union gear!

Report: PSU Cuts Endanger Student Success

The recent budget cuts implemented by Portland State University’s administration under the leadership of President Ann Cudd have already resulted in the elimination of programs, non-renewal notices effectively terminating dozens of adjuncts, and a wave of layoffs affecting nearly 100 non-tenure track full-time faculty. But what do these controversial cuts mean for students? A joint report released by PSU’s faculty labor unions details the impacts already affecting students and the potential future outcomes of the sweeping cuts proposed by admin.

Supporters hold signs in protest of cuts to student services at PSU, photo courtesy PSU Vanguard

The report, which was released by PSUFA, PSU-AAUP, and GEU on October 31 of this year, found that cuts would have significant negative impacts on already insufficient student services including advising and mental health counseling. These impacts would likely fall most heavily on marginalized student groups, such as students needing disability accommodation, English language learners, and and those who identify with minoritized racial and ethnic groups. The report points out that chronic understaffing is already an issue in many student-facing departments, with some students being forced to wait up to four weeks to meet with an advisor and up to nine months to receive disability accommodations support. Especially poignant is the fact that “the CARE Team, a group that supports students in crises, has only two staff,” even as student mental health needs are on the rise and in the shadow of an on-campus student suicide that took place at the start of this fall term.

Cuts to critical student services are being demanded by the administration despite consistently rising tuition and fees. Students have begun pushing back, protesting at a recent Student Fee Committee budget meeting. In addition to the detrimental effects on learning of reduced and precarious faculty, limited course offerings, and enlarged class sizes, PSU’s program of extreme across-the-board cuts fails to serve our institution’s core mission, and most importantly, fails the students who come here seeking a high-quality educational experience in a supportive environment.

Read the full report here, and let us know what you think! Have you noticed a decrease in the quality and availability of student services due to the cuts? Are you concerned about PSU’s ability to provide a safe and supportive learning environment for all students? Email psufa.martha@gmail.com and share your thoughts!

Major Payroll Error Exposes Administrative Chaos at PSU

Adjuncts across the university are reporting to PSUFA that they recently received paychecks in error from PSU, followed by demands from HR to pay back the issued amounts by the end of this month to avoid incurring interest. This comes after a large number of adjuncts were issued non-renewal notices beginning in Spring 2024 (the exact number is still unclear as PSU continues to withhold critical data from PSUFA and other unions), effectively terminating them from the institution’s payroll. However, it seems the administration was unable to properly handle their own hasty mass layoffs, leaving out-of-work adjuncts to clean up their mess for them so they can save face before the state’s higher ed funding bodies.

Below is a screen grab of one of these emails (edited to protect the anonymity of the adjunct who shared it with our team):

Many of the affected were terminated in the middle of two-year contracts, in violation of our Collective Bargaining Agreement, and were included in a group grievance filed by PSUFA. The grievance has since been moved to arbitration due to admin’s continued failure to respond in accordance with the official grievance process timeline.

These developments suggest PSU can’t manage the practical administrative side of their controversial budget cuts, on top of their failure to address the many questions faculty, students, and the wider community have voiced about the impacts of these cuts on the critical educational mission of our institution. The bottom line: Hasty executive actions and the resulting administrative mess they leave end up putting additional burden on wrongfully terminated adjuncts, and are unlikely to inspire confidence in Pres. Ann Cudd’s ability to lead PSU into the future.

Did you receive a letter from HR demanding repayment of a paycheck issued to you in error? How do you think PSU is managing Pres. Cudd’s agenda of cuts? Tell us what you think! Email PSUFA.martha (at) gmail.com and share your view.

Cudd: Larger Class Sizes are Good Because It Will be Easier for Students to Skip Classes

PSU President Ann Cudd Gives a Revealing Interview on OPB’s Think Out Loud

Pres. Cudd in a recent candid interview with the PSU Vanguard

PSU President Ann Cudd sat for an interview with OPB’s Think Out Loud podcast recently, to discuss her administration’s program of extreme budget cuts across the university. In addition to repeating boilerplate explanations for the cuts, Cudd offered opinions and revealed gaps in knowledge that paint a concerning picture of her vision for PSU’s future. When asked by host Dave Miller how larger class sizes caused by cutting instructional faculty would affect students’ learning experience, Cudd insisted students would be better off in larger classes of upwards of 30 students. She explained her reasoning as follows:

“Because nobody likes to be in a class that has only about four or five other students, because if you don’t show up you really are noticed, for one thing. But the other thing is that it’s all on you and a couple of others to carry on the discussion and actually, you know, work together. So it’s a better classroom experience when there are more students than that.”

Miller expressed disbelief at the notion that a university president would promote larger class sizes as beneficial for learning, and followed up by asking if the majority of more than 90 NTTF who received layoff notices had been identified as teaching the kind of smaller or redundant class sessions PSU says they aim to trim. But Cudd was either unable or unwilling to answer. Instead, she deflected the question and instead focused on contract requirements for layoff notification. It is also notable that the interview failed to address the role of adjuncts (who teach around a third of all classes offered at PSU) in the administration and board’s budget plans, and made no mention of the wave of non-renewal notices received by many adjuncts this summer.

Listen to the full interview here.

What’s the takeaway from an interview like this? It seems clear that Pres. Cudd and the rest of PSU’s leadership are making enormously consequential decisions about the future of the institution without a well-reasoned strategy beyond panicked short term cost-cutting. This isn’t the first time Pres. Cudd has appeared to be unprepared in the face of questions from faculty and students. The PSU Vanguard shared this video of PSU-AAUP President Emily Ford confronting Cudd recently over faculty layoffs. While Cudd failed to offer substantive answers to any of Pres. Ford’s questions, her dismissive attitude spoke volumes.

Did you listen to the interview on OPB or see the Vanguard’s video on social media? What do you think about Pres. Cudd’s response? Email to share your thoughts at psufa.martha@gmail.com

Austerity Impacts: CHLA Adjunct Hector Hernandez

Austerity Impacts

CHLA Adjunct Hector Hernandez Says PSU is Falling Short on its Goal to Serve Minoritized Students

This is the first in a series of interviews with adjuncts at PSU who have been affected by the administration’s extreme budget cuts over the past year. The impacts of this austerity plan range from contract non-renewals to canceled courses, and affect the PSU community in ways that often contradict the university’s mandate to provide a high quality educational experience for all students. But figures and headlines don’t tell the whole story. In order to understand what is happening on the ground, PSUFA is interviewing adjunct instructors all term to learn about their experiences and paint a more detailed picture of how sweeping administrative actions affect educators and students firsthand. 

For our first interview, we sat down with Hector Hernandez (Chicanx & Latinx Studies/CHLA) to discuss the recent cancellation of one of his popular courses on Mesoamerican culture. Prof. Hernandez, who has been teaching in the CHLA program since 2009, shared his story with PSUFA in order to shed light on what is being lost in the administration’s rush to slash budgets.

PSUFA: Can you tell us about the class you were teaching that got cut? Who were the students that took this course?

Hector Hernandez: The class, CHLA340: Mayas, Aztecs and Chicanos, is a course addressing the interests of students about the culture of Mesoamerica and its legacy in the Chicanx/Latinx culture. Since a large portion of the Chicanx/Latinx population in Oregon has a cultural background from Mesoamerica, that cultural legacy is reflected in our Chicanx/Latinx communities here. I've been teaching this course since 2017 and I've been an adjunct professor in the Chicanx/Latinx program since 2009. I developed the curriculum of this course to respond to the interest of the Chicanx/Latinx students, and in particular to the ones with indigenous backgrounds living in the Portland Metro area, since we have communities from the Mayan, Oaxacan, and Michoacan areas in addition to Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador, among others. The students interested in taking this course are not only Chicanx/Latinx students but also students from a wide array of cultural backgrounds with interest in Chicanx/Latinx culture. I developed this course based on an introductory course I taught at Oregon State University in 2001 and continued teaching at PSU from 2009 to about 2016

PSUFA: What happened that resulted in your class being cut? When did you find out? What did you do?

HH: I found out that the class was canceled on August 8 due to low enrollment and "lack of interest" from students. These reasons don’t make sense, because the cancellation was imposed more than two months before the beginning of the classes, and obviously low enrollment would be logical that many weeks ahead of the beginning of classes. I began to reach out to the Dean of CLAS and the President of PSU and questioned the lack of validity of the reasons for canceling the course. After I didn't hear any response from the Dean, I presented my case to the Board of Trustees. So far I haven't seen any change or consideration of my request for reinstatement.

PSUFA: What do you see as the impact of losing this class? How does this square with PSU's stated educational mission?

HH: I think the cancellation of courses like this, contrary to the reasons argued by the administration, is more a gesture of culture canceling or erasure, since the students have shown interest year after year. In addition, this course provides valuable cultural information pertaining to the legacy of the Chicanx/Latinx culture in the USA and in particular in Oregon. The course covers the emergence of Mesoamerican civilizations through millenia along with dietary and other cultural contributions, and many students have expressed interest in the subjects and topics addressed during class. For example, students who are involved in the food industry really appreciate this course. Also, the course addresses issues of race and class that help students understand the social and cultural dynamics of the Chicanx/Latinx communities in the USA, and how these conditions hindered the advancement of the community at large. Other cultural expressions the course discusses include Cinco de Mayo Celebrations, Dia de los Muertos, and legends and myths of these cultures.

I think this kind of content is only partially addressed or not provided during students’ K-12 education experiences, and this course is a great opportunity to study these valuable aspects of the cultural legacy of the Chicanx/Latinx culture at PSU. The knowledge provided by this course is in tune with the goal to serve minoritized communities to which PSU is aspiring*, and by canceling this course PSU is falling short on its mission statement: “Let Knowledge Serve the City.”

*PSU’s “2030 Vision” Strategic Plan includes the following top level priority item: “Provide students a culturally engaged academic experience through broad-based, high-impact and responsive practices that deliver quality education and create a sense of belonging.”

Hector H. Hernandez received his MFA from the University of Oregon in 1999 in painting and holds a MIS in Art and Education, a degree in Anthropology and a BFA. He has studied art in Japan and worked as an illustrator. Mr. Hernandez has produced murals and other artworks throughout communities and educational institutions in Oregon since 1995. Permanent exhibition murals are located at the OSU Memorial Union, Portland Community College (Rock Creek Campus), Portland State University, as well as Independence High School, Canby School Districts, Parks and Recreations among others. Currently Mr. Hernandez is working on a community mural project for the "Cipriano Ferrel Education Center in Woodburn as well as he completed other mural projects in Salem Oregon. Mr. Hernandez has executed murals for clinics, health center such as the Virginia Garcia Memorial Health Center. Among the subjects and themes reflected in his murals are the community involvement on issues such as environment, education, multiculturalism, and social change. Mr. Hernandez has showed his works in numerous galleries across Oregon, Japan and Mexico. He also gives lectures and seminars in cross-cultural awareness and communication, health education, ethnic studies and the art and culture of Mexico.

Are you an adjunct whose classes have been canceled? How have PSU’s budget cuts affected you? Share your story with us by emailing psufa.martha (at) gmail (dot) com

PSUFA Joins with PSU-AAUP in a Rally to Stop the Cuts!

PSUFA Joins AAUP In Solidarity Against Mass Layoffs!

PSUFA joined our full-time colleagues in PSU-AAUP for a rally on Thursday to demonstrate cross-union solidarity against the wave of mass layoffs and program cuts recently imposed by the administration and board of trustees. Nearly 100 non-tenure track full-time faculty received notice of their impending layoff earlier this week, an administrative action that echos the wave of non-renewal notices many adjuncts received over the summer. Participants in Thursday's action wore union t-shirts and carried signs printed by PSUFA Chair of Political Action Erica Thomas, and faculty packed the room for AAUP's bargaining session. It was great to see such a strong show of solidarity in the face of admin's extreme actions!

Student journalists at the PSU Vanguard covered the day's events, including a moment of confrontation between PSU-AAUP President Emily Ford and PSU President Ann Cudd, as part of their excellent coverage of the budget cuts and campus reactions.

In addition, OPB's Tiffany Camhi published an article detailing the proposed cuts and union response, including comments from President Ford and a statement from PSUFA, quoted below:

The Portland State University Faculty Association, which represents adjunct faculty, said mass layoffs would translate to an increased workload for remaining staff and larger class sizes for students. “PSUFA stands in solidarity with AAUP against the PSU board and administration’s shortsighted plans to slash programs and terminate longtime faculty,” said a PSUFA spokesperson in an emailed statement. “We wholeheartedly agree with our full-time colleagues in their observations that such actions will have negative impacts on our entire educational community.”

Missed the Rally? You Can Still Support Faculty Facing Layoffs!

If you couldn't make it to Thursday's rally, you can still stand up for faculty by signing the petition telling President Cudd to stop the cuts, and by RSVPing to observe PSU-AAUP's upcoming bargaining sessions (online viewing option available).

Welcome Back for Fall Term!

Join Your Union for Fall Orientation, Adjunct Happy Hour, and Much More!

Welcome back adjuncts!

It's almost the start of fall term again, and we are looking forward to connecting with students in the classroom, seeing familiar faces on campus, and meeting new adjuncts just starting our at PSU!

At the same time, there has been a lot of confusion and frustration as we head into fall: many of us have lost classes, multi year contracts have been terminated, appointments and contracts arrived very VERY late, and many adjuncts are now feeling more precarious than ever. How have you been affected? If you haven't yet filled out our survey on how budget cuts are affecting adjuncts, please take a moment and do it now!

Claim your late notice compensation!

Adjuncts on annual and multi-year contracts: if you received your letter of appointment within 4 weeks of the beginning of classes,  you are entitled to compensation as per Article 12 section 8 of our Collective Bargaining Agreement. Departments SHOULD automatically provide this compensation. If you are owed this compensation and your department has not provided it, reach out to them and make sure to copy your grievances chair: grievances@psufa.org. Your grievances chair can also help answer questions about eligibility.

You Are Your Union!

Your union is committed to fighting for job security and stability, the upholding of our collective bargaining agreement, and a quality education for our students. Read on to learn about fun upcoming events and important opportunities to help build the power of your union.

New Executive Council Members

Your PSUFA executive council welcomes three new chairs: Chair of Operations Mychel Estevez (UNST), Chair of Communications Martha Daghlian (ART), Chair of Treasury Adam Gittler (SBA). Learn more about your executive council and find contact info on our website!

New Adjunct Orientation Sept. 20 3-5PM

Looking for a bit of extra support as you prepare for the start of classes? Attend the PSU/PSUFA orientation for new adjuncts! We will share useful information on everything from online teaching tools to labor contracts on Friday, September 20 from 3-5pm in the Office of Academic Innovation (OAI) and on Zoom (please RSVP here: https://forms.gle/8eNWADAMXhpyetnp9).

Stick around after orientation to join us for a casual happy hour gathering on Friday September 20, 5:00-6:30 at Rogue Hall (across the street from PSU's campus). AFT-OR will provide snacks, cash bar available. Come meet your colleagues and build community! This happy hour event is open to ALL adjuncts. Please RSVP: https://forms.gle/8eNWADAMXhpyetnp9

Join the bargaining research and action team

What is your dream contract? How are you going to get it? Full contract negotiations begin in 2025 and your voice is needed to shape the platform and priorities of contract negotiations and the organizing that will make us powerful at the table.

Email organizing@psufa.org and psufa.bargaining@gmail.com to find out more and sign up.

Join a committee!

Build the strength of your union by joining a committee membership, finance, communications, political action, grievances, and DEIJ. Email organizing@psufa.org for more info on specific committees and how to join.

Nonrenewals: What PSUFA is doing about it and how you can help!

Help YouR Union Take Action to Protect Adjunct Rights!

Beginning in Spring 2024, Adjuncts across the University began receiving wishy-washy-worded letters from department chairs about looming budget cuts,  the *uncertainty* of scheduling for the following academic year, and an inability to “confirm” renewal. That was followed by a slew of non-renewal-notices (aka pink slips, aka being fired). Even adjuncts in the middle of two-year contracts have had their positions terminated or courseload dramatically reduced.  At least one department, Philosophy, has eliminated all adjuncts regardless of whether they are on a term-to-term or multi-year contract. 

Our Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) was negotiated to protect adjuncts by giving them advance notice of what courses they will be offered in the upcoming academic year in week 5 of Spring term. This year, PSU has violated specific provisions in our CBA in order to buy themselves extra time at the expense of part-time faculty. In breaking the multi-year contracts your union has fought for, they have, moreover, violated one of the only mechanisms for job protection you have. 

Simply, this means you and your adjunct colleagues’ rights are being violated and you have little to no job stability. It also means your students will not have access to the courses they need, taught by instructors they love, with the class sizes they deserve. 

In response to the breach of two-year contracts, your union, PSUFA, moved forward with a collective grievance. PSU has refused to acknowledge this grievance, citing numerous technicalities that ignore well-established past practices in the grievance process. They have also failed to respond to information requests about which adjuncts on 2 year contracts have been terminated. 

It is a classic union busting tactic to issue widespread layoffs as a retaliatory response to huge gains like the ones we won in our last contract negotiations in 2023. We can’t be sure of PSU’s motivations, but, we do know that 70 adjuncts were also terminated in spring of 2023. This most recent maneuver is a continuation of Admin’s problematic and pessimistic budgetary strategy: cut from the bottom in an effort to balance the budget of a mismanaged university.

Actions your union is taking in response:

• File an ULP (Unfair Labor Practice) to pressure the university to uphold contracts and honor established past practices 

• Pursue individual and collective grievances

• Attempt to get adjunct classes either reinstated or get adjuncts paid out for the classes they are losing

• Make sure that the university is following the assignment rights and appointment order guaranteed by Article 8 of your contract 

Your union is strongest when you participate! Here are a few ways you can contribute to our collective action:

• Fill out this google form and tell us about your experience

• Add your name to our collective grievance if you are on a 2 year contract and have received a non-renewal notice. Email grievances [at] psufa.org

• Join your grievance committee. Email grievances [at] psufa.org and organizing [at] psufa.org

Spring Town Hall Recap

Minutes from PSUFA’s Spring Term Town Hall

5/15/24 Town Hall Meeting Minutes

If you were unable to join PSUFA’s Spring Town Hall on budget cuts and adjunct contracts, you can still read the meeting minutes here! Find out what your colleagues and fellow union members had to say about the ways PSU’s looming budget cuts are affecting their job security and working conditions.

If you want to let us know about your experience with contract renewal notices, class cancellations, or anything else related to budget cuts at PSU, please fill out our survey here.

Stay tuned for more ways you can get involved with PSUFA and speak up for the rights and labor of adjuncts like you in the face of austerity measures!