Teachers reach deal

Temple University and the Temple Association of University Professionals announced they reached a tentative agreement on a four-year contract Monday.

The old contract expired Oct. 15, 2004, but TAUP and the University agreed to have an extension until the middle of February while negotiations on the new contract were taking place.

University President David Adamany said the contract is “an enormous step” for the University.

“This contract, everything we’re doing at Temple, is intended to ensure Temple’s status as a national university improves,” Adamany said.

TAUP President William Cutler said the goal of the new contract is to retain the important features of the old contract while reflecting the changing conditions of the faculty and the climate of American higher education.

“From the very beginning, I focused on how do we build a contract language that makes a statement about Temple’s aspirations and about the reality of Temple’s faculty as well,” Cutler said.

Neither Adamany nor Cutler disclosed specific details about the new contact, but Cutler said, “The language has changed on matters having to do with promotion and tenure, department chairs, non-tenure track, full-time non tenure track faculty.”

Cutler said the new contract has “significant changes,” but withheld the details to give members of the parties involved sufficient time to look over the contract before they made it public.

Cutler and Adamany both said it was difficult to come up with a contract that satisfied both sides. Despite the difficulties, Cutler said they “achieved language that made everyone happy.”

The new contract will go into effect when TAUP and the University both approve it. Cutler said the contract should be ratified by early March.

“We can have our ratification in place with all our members who voted. The decision will be made by them by the Friday before spring break,” Cutler said.

Sulaiman Abdur-Rahman can be reached at Sulaiman@temple.edu.