BOT and AAUP approved new contract agreement

The Cincinnati State Board of Trustees and the members of the Cincinnati State Chapter of the AAUP (American Association of University Professors) have affirmed a new 3-year contract agreement for 2026 through 2029.

The Trustees unanimously affirmed the agreement at their meeting on July 28, 2026. AAUP members approved the contract in voting that was completed August 5, 2026.

All full-time faculty members at the College are part of the AAUP bargaining unit. Over 70% of eligible bargaining unit members participated in voting for the new contract agreement, with 98% voting in favor.

The AAUP was the first employee union at Cincinnati State. The first AAUP contract went into effect in 1990.

The new AAUP contract started on the first day of Fall Semester (August 24, 2026) and will conclude at the end of Summer Semester in 2029.

The new contract includes a 3.25% raise to base salaries for all full-time faculty members, starting August 24, 2026. The agreement also includes a 3.5% raise effective in Fall Semester 2027, and a 3.5% raise effective in Fall 2028.

Other provisions of the new contract include raises to overload compensation for full-time faculty members during each year of the agreement (starting at $860 per unit for Fall 2026) and more flexibility in scheduling faculty office hours while ensuring service to students. The contract also includes several provisions that acknowledge new Board of Trustees policies that were established because of requirements of the Advance Ohio Higher Education Act, also known as “Senate Bill 1.”

AAUP Chapter President Abbey Yee thanked faculty for strong support that helped make it possible to complete the contract negotiations in a timely manner.

“We also appreciated that the administration worked with AAUP, prior to negotiations, to help develop the language for the new Board of Trustees policies required by Senate Bill 1,” Abbey said. “We were able to update the contract provisions affected by Senate Bill 1 more efficiently because of our previous work together on these new policies.”

Provost Robbin Hoopes, a co-leader of the Administration Bargaining Team, said, “I really value the close, careful review of our faculty contract every three years. Everyone at the bargaining table, both faculty and administration, brought their unique expertise to bear on the crucial task of evolving our contract, and thus our teaching and learning enterprise, to remain responsive to the needs of our students, faculty, and other stakeholders.” 

Julie McLaughlin, a co-leader of the Faculty Bargaining Team, said, “We used a new approach to bargaining this year that included candid conversations about our concerns before we exchanged formal proposals for contract language. I think the new approach helped both sides better understand each other’s needs and priorities. The result was less contentious negotiations, and a contract that addresses many items of importance to faculty and administration.”