American Association of University Professors (AAUP) -- University of Rhode Island Chapter (Mss. Gr. 118)

The records of the University of Rhode Island Chapter of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) were donated to the URI Library in the summer of 1996. The idea of archiving the Association's historical records dates back until at least 1973 when the motion was defeated in a vote before the Executive Committee. In academic year 1995/96 current Executive Director, Suzanne Taylor, brought forward the idea as part of the organization's twenty fifth anniversary; at this point the Committee sanctioned the project. Records of the Association were transferred to the University Archives from the AAUP offices in Roosevelt Hall where they had been stored in closets and file cabinet since at least 1971. In the planning phase of this project, the Executive Director and University Archivist, in consultation with the Executive Committee, decided that all records from the earliest date up to, and including, 1990 would be transferred to the archive through a deed of gift which was presented to the Committee on the 26th of August 1996. Because the Association is still an active entity, records from 1991 forward are kept at the AAUP office. An exception to this appears in the grievance series. Four grievance cases from 1990 are included in this archive; other grievances from 1990, if there are any, remain at the AAUP office.

The Association's history from 1931 through 1944 is missing and only sketchy information is available from 1945 through 1970. Records from 1971, when the organization became a bargaining unit, through 1990 provide a detailed picture of the operation of the Association through the years. This collection is broken into eleven series and some of the series are divided into subseries.

Series I, General Subject File, 1954-1990, consists of material relating to the administration and operation of the URI chapter of the AAUP. Included in this series are correspondence, minutes, newsletters, faculty attitude surveys, and other records that provide in-depth information regarding the operations and activities of the Association. Series II, Executive Committee Files, 1954-1990, is comprised primarily of minutes and agenda from Executive Committee meetings, these files date back to 1957. The files that round out this series are comprised of correspondence to and from the Executive Committee dating back to 1954.

Series III, Correspondence of Presidents, 1961-1990, documents the daily activities of the chapter president of the AAUP, beginning with the correspondence of President William Haller (1962-1963) and continuing through the presidency of Wendy Roworth (1989-1990). Although the Association has had a presence at this school since 1931, there is no separate record of presidential correspondence pre dating Haller's term in office. The president's correspondence is sporadic from Haller's term through that of Roderick Caldwell (1971-1972). From President Scott Desjardins' term (1972-1973) through Wendy Roworth's presidency, record keeping of correspondence has been more completely maintained by the AAUP office.

Series IV, Correspondence of the Executive Secretary/Director, 1975-1991, like that of the Correspondence of Presidents, is distinguished by its paucity of records. The series contains just three quarters of a linear foot of material. Sixty percent of the material in this series is files containing the correspondence of Executive Secretary Edward Marth (1975-1986). Reflecting a difference in style, Marth's successor Rachel Grenier chose to have most of her correspondence integrated into the files to which the action related. Subsequently, just five folders in this series contain Grenier's writings. For the bulk of her correspondence, one must use the other series in this archive.

Series V, All University Collective Bargaining Committee (AUCBC), 1972-1990, contains records pertaining to the actions of the Collective Bargaining Committees. The committees are charged by the Association's constitution with the mission of "establishing the policies and procedures relating to resumed contract negotiations" and are also charged with naming the new Negotiating Team. This series consists of minutes, proposals, agreements, articles and other files that were relevant to each individual AUCBC.

Series VI: Negotiations 1962-1990. The Negotiating Team is appointed by the AUCBC. Files generated by these teams include salary agreements, legal actions, memorandums of agreement, proposals and other files. Records in this series provide insight about the activities of the faculty's negotiators as well as that of the Administration's team. A useful document is the 1972-1990 contract listing (folder 6) which provides a concise overview of each contract period, the salary increase, Exceptional Salary Increase (ESI) and merit increases.

Series VII: Strike 1970-1980 Files in this series include: Newspaper clippings of the strike wad subsequent fallout; depositions from the resulting arbitration; faculty attitude surveys from 1977 and 1978; pay for work grievances filed by faculty members not paid during the strike days; a faculty attendance roster which lists who reported for work during the strike, other relevant material is also included. The faculty strike in 1979 was an important event in the history of the AAUP and the University as well. Not before, and not since, have negotiations broken down so completely as to precipitate this type of job action.

Series VIII: Financial Material 1945-1990. This series is broken into four subseries: General Financial Material; Statements, Account Books & Canceled Checks; Salary; Service Fee and Membership Registers. The General Financial Material is comprised of treasurer's reports, vouchers, invoices, receipts and disbursements from 1956-1957 through 1989-1990. Subseries AA: Statements, Account Books & Canceled Checks contains all of the above documents from 1945 through 1973.

Subseries B: Salary is a collection of computer reports gathered by the Association in its early campaign for salary equity. Subseries C: Service Fee and Membership Registers is a collection of registers from 1972 through 1990 documenting the dollar amount paid by each faculty member of the university faculty for membership in the Association (voluntary) and a service fee paid by each faculty member to the AAUP for its role as bargaining agent (mandatory).

Series IX: Grievance 1972-1990. Material in the grievance is organized alphabetically by the grievant's last name. In the case of an individual having filed more than one grievance, the collection is sorted chronologically. Included in this series are four hundred sixty eight grievances filed between 1972 and 1990. The files in this series are broken into two series which comprise the largest component of the processed collection. The main component of this series contains four hundred forty five individual grievances. Subseries A: Class Grievances contains twenty three class grievances. Restriction will apply to this series. Access to the grievances is restricted. Permission to research materials in this series must be obtained from the AAUP and the Archivist.

Series X: Women's Inequities Class Action Suit, 1972-1987, contains records related to the suit filed on behalf of female faculty members who claimed a systematic process of discrimination based on sex. Material from the class action suit accounts for forty four linear feet of processed material. Records in this series are broken into the following groups:

Subseries A: Documentation of the case; interrogatories, motions, pleadings and other legal documents.

Subseries B: Individual Files; information from and about the various individuals involved in the class action suit.

Subseries C: Department Files; as a part of the case university departments were called on to provide information regarding potential discrimination.

Subseries D: Subject Files; records of correspondence, analyses and background legal cases.

Subseries E: Affirmative Action/ Equal Opportunity (AA/EEOP); department, college and university AA/EEOP plans and evaluations.

Subseries F: Searches; the original creators of these files set aside some files of departmental and university personnel searches. Additional searches can be found interspersed with department files in Subseries C.

Subseries G: Brown University; this is a similar case which occurred at Brown University.

Subseries H: Computer Printouts; a diverse set (of data noting various demographic characteristics of the faculty over the course of the class action suit.

Series XI, Executive Secretary/Director Search, 1975-1987, contains records pertaining to the two national searches for Executive Secretary in 1975 and 1987. The position of Executive Secretary was re designated as Executive Director under Rachel Grenier. This series contains applications for the position advertisements, search committee rosters, minutes and offers made.

Those wishing additional information concerning the AAUP chapter at the University of Rhode Island may wish to consult sources in the University Library. The Special Collections department houses many collections that provide worthwhile adjunct information about the association. The Directory of Staff Members, published continually since 1942, allows researchers to cross reference members of the Association with their departments and positions held. A collection also exists chronicling the long standing grievance of Professor Garrett Glough. This collection is contained in eight archive boxes and includes tapes of the hearings. In addition to these two sets of records, Special Collections also has a complete set of bound AAUP newsletters. These will prove useful when the reader notices the less than complete file of newsletters in this archive. The papers of the University Presidents may also prove a useful adjunct to this archive. In the library's general collection, the Bulletin of the American Association of University Professors, subsequently renamed Academe, provides insight to the national body as well as information on chapter officers and membership numbers.

Judge Selya's decision on Chang v University of Rhode Island (commonly refer red to as The Class Action Suit) will be of assistance when using the Class Action series of this archive. A monograph, Academics in Court. The Consequences of Faculty Discrimination Litigation, by LaNoue and Lee will provide the researcher with background information on cases similar to the class action suit at the University of Rhode Island.