Complaints by some faculty and a need for a voice in University scheduling matters have prompted the faculty union to file a demand-to-bargain notice regarding the University’s calendar.

The motion filed last week states the administration should immediately establish bargaining sessions to discuss the University’s calendar.

In February, the calendar was revised to make winter break a week shorter.

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Jim Sullivan, SIUC Illinois Education Association / National Education Association president, said the change could affect the professional lives of some faculty.

This could have some major impact on many faculty attending workshops across the nation, delivering papers or providing seminars at universities throughout the nation, Sullivan said. But we don’t have all the input on how this will affect our personal and professional lives, but we are gathering that information.

Both the 1997-1998 Undergraduate Catalog and fall class schedule guide provided incorrect information. The manuals stated that spring semester began a week later than it actually does. Spring semester begins Jan. 12.

The calendar was originally drafted in January 1996 but was revised in February 1997. It was revised too late for either publication to reflect the changes. The correct calendar will be displayed in the spring 1998 schedule of classes on the front cover.

Sullivan said the calendar should be a mandatory subject of bargaining and that faculty should have a say in such matters.

The University has a legal obligation to bargain terms, wages and conditions of employment, he said. How can we negotiate changes already unilaterally made by administration? The answer is we can’t.

This is another example of administration not really accepting change at SIUC.

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William Capie, associate vice chancellor for Administration, said the calendar is already set for the 1997-1998 but that it likely will be a bargaining issue in the future.

If there is a dispute it would be whether this is a mandatory subject of bargaining, Capie said. I think there is little argument, though, because scheduling has to be considered some term or condition of employment and probably is a mandatory subject of bargaining.

They are just making sure they are not abdicating some of the rights that are provided to them under the law.

Sullivan said he has received some complaints about the calendar revision.

I don’t think faculty have had enough time or awareness to see what this may mean to their personal and professional lives, he said.

Hans Rudnick, a professor in English, said the change has forced him to alter his plans. He said he learned about the change in a September Daily Egyptian article.

I, like many of my other colleagues, had plans only to find that at the last minute there is another week less of Christmas break, Rudnick said. That was a big surprise to us because we read everywhere that Christmas break ended a week later.

This does not give us much leeway time to change plans.

SIUC Chancellor Donald Beggs has said the change was made because students expressed interest in shorter break so that they could get summer jobs earlier. He has said students also can participate in intercession courses earlier.

Sullivan said the shorter break may turn out to be a good change, but the facts are not in yet.

We’ll reserve judgment on if it is a desirable or undesirable change, he said, but there is no question in the minds of this association that this subject is a mandatory subject of bargaining.