After a new union at Miami University was certified by the state in June 2023, its members are still waiting for an initial contract.
The Faculty Alliance of Miami represents tenured and tenure-track faculty and librarians at the university in Oxford. Today marks 463 days the union has been without a contract. Negotiators said they are focused primarily on job security, academic freedom for librarians and fair compensation.
Rachel Makarowski, special collections librarian and a negotiation team member for the union, said the annual cost-of-living raises the university is offering "would make living in Oxford untenable."
"We are really feeling that kind of tight pressure on our wallets," Makarowski acknowledged. "As well as the fact that they're devaluing us and our labor that is what makes the university work."
A university representative said it has been working "in good faith" and has made 11 tentative agreements with the union. Makarowski countered the university has been using stall tactics to delay finalizing an agreement.
Miami University is the largest employer in Butler County. Oxford is a town of about 22,000, where Makarowski pointed out its union members make up a significant group of residents.
"The faculty and the librarians at a university are really going to be influential on the local economy, on the local programming, et cetera," Makarowski explained. "All of us will really feel when we get a good contract but they'll also feel it if we get a bad contract."
On the most recent bargaining days, according to the union's website, the union has reached tentative agreements around grievance and arbitration, discipline and discharge, the promotion process and enhanced funds for publication and other costs for scholarly work.
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Ohio Senate Bill 1 is drawing strong reactions across the state, particularly from students in higher education. The bill, which its supporters say aims to promote institutional neutrality, has been met with vocal opposition from students and faculty who argue it threatens academic freedom.
Clara Conover, lead organizer at the Ohio Student Association, points to the overwhelming response against the bill.
"There has not been one single public university student testifying for this bill or openly supporting it. And I think that that goes a really long way to represent how harmful Senate Bill 1 would be for higher ed," she explained.
Despite strong student opposition, proponents of SB 1 argue that the legislation is necessary to ensure political neutrality in classrooms and prevent ideological bias. The bill, introduced by Sen. Jerry Cirino, R-Columbus, would restrict diversity-related programs and require universities to remain neutral on controversial topics.
As the debate over SB 1 continues, students have been actively protesting its progression through the Legislature. The Ohio Student Association recently staged a silent protest at the Statehouse, symbolizing what they describe as grief over the bill's potential impact. Conover emphasized the broader implications of this legislation.
"This bill would make our universities ... like, it would drive students out of Ohio and then it would make sure that no one else came here for college 'cause no one wants to go to the Jim Crow state, the modern one where you can't learn what everyone else around you is learning in different states," he said.
SB 1 remains under consideration in the Ohio Senate despite strong opposition. Wednesday's committee vote followed more than eight and a half hours of testimony, with more than 800 pieces of opponent testimony submitted.
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According to research from Lumina Foundation, the rate of U.S. high school seniors seeking higher education is on the upswing.
Although Ohio student rates are improving, the numbers show they still rank behind national figures. The foundation's Stronger Nation report showed nearly 55% of American adults aged 25 to 64 have a college degree or industry-recognized certification. Ohio's attainment rate is almost 53%, 12 points shy of the 2025 goal for the state.
Teresa Lubbers, a Lumina Foundation board member and president of the Sagamore Institute, a think tank focusing on social impact issues, said the study was done with a sense of urgency.
"I don't think that the salary alone can be the measure because some important jobs don't have the pay that we think they should have," Lubbers pointed out. "But economic mobility is an important way to measure it, and all degrees and credentials should ensure economic mobility and meet workforce needs."
The report specified a post-high school education as an associate's, bachelor's or master's degree or an industry-recognized certificate. It noted 60% of adults in the United States will need a post-high school credential in training and a demonstrated competency in an employable skill.
Data classified by race and ethnicity showed progress across the board. The report found 31% of Black students either have an associate, bachelor's or master's degree, while 45% of white students, 32% of Hispanic students, and 66% of Asian students have obtained degrees.
Lubbers stressed it is important to compile the information.
"Whether it's college readiness, college completion, dual credit, return on investment, the number of credentials and certificates, all of those things roll up to make the case for what we're doing and what's working," Lubbers outlined.
The report recommended maintaining the current achievement figures and boosting enrollment numbers in credential-based institutions.
Support for this reporting was provided by Lumina Foundation.
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Institutions need to do more to close the higher education graduation gap for Native Americans, according to a new report.
The report notes at just 25%, Native Americans have the lowest college-going rate of any racial group in the country.
Cheryl Crazy Bull - the president and CEO of the American Indian College Fund, who helped author the report - recommended states set specific higher education goals, focused on increasing Native participation.
She added that they should prioritize direct engagement with tribes and schools to provide resources, as well as expanding recruitment practices.
"Those practices," said Crazy Bull, "can often exclude Native students who live in reservation rural areas as well as urban Native students."
In 2022, Oregon made public universities free for Native students enrolled in one of the state's nine federally recognized tribes through the Oregon Tribal Stewardship Grant.
The program has been gaining steam over the years - but the graduation gap, made larger during the pandemic, has not closed.
While Crazy Bull said financial barriers play a big part in preventing native people from accessing higher education, she added that not all issues can be solved with money.
"How do institutions create a place or a sense of belonging for students?" said Crazy Bull. "That's just a constant effort."
Crazy Bull added that even before the new administration, anti-DEI practices were harmful to Native students' experiences.
Applications for the next academic year, 2025-26, will open in April.
To qualify for the grant, they must be accepted for enrollment at an Oregon college or university.
Support for this reporting was provided by Lumina Foundation.
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