Delegates to the AAUP 96th Annual Meeting in June 2010 approved a progressive, salary-based dues structure for all members not in collective bargaining chapters. The dues rates will take effect January 1, 2011, but will be offered beginning September 1, 2010, to all new members not in collective bargaining (for more information see Fall 2010 Recruitment Campaign). These FAQs are designed to answer questions from AAUP conferences and chapters about the reform, and how it will be implemented and administered.
Why did the AAUP change its dues structure?
Today’s reality is that many faculty members – even those working full time with tenure – earn less than $60,000. Convincing these faculty to pay $200 a year is not an easy task. Progressive dues based on each faculty member’s academic income, rather than rank, will help us recruit greater numbers of lower-paid faculty – whether full time or part time, tenured or not. The disciplinary organizations that set dues by income find that faculty members are reasonably honest in reporting their salaries. Progressive dues work. They help attract younger members and assure that those whose salaries remain low are never penalized by a sudden large dues increase, as currently happens when AAUP members lose their eligibility for entrant dues. We believe this is a necessary step in building a stronger and more influential organization.
How will it work?
Members will pay dues by selecting the salary band that corresponds to their academic income and pay the dues rate for that band. We will not solicit or record individual salary or incomes; rather, we will record the band as selected by each member. Individual AAUP members not covered by collective bargaining may continue to pay dues annually via check or credit card, monthly via bank debit, or via payroll deduction where available. Current members will make the switch upon renewing annual membership by self-selecting from the salary bands. Members paying monthly or via payroll deduction will be asked to choose their relevant salary band at the end of each calendar year in preparation for new dues rates to take effect in January.
How is “salary” defined?
For the purpose of identifying dues rates, salary is defined as academic income. Individual members will select the salary band and corresponding dues rate that best reflect their academic income.
What about retirees?
Retirees will select the salary band that best reflects their academic income in retirement.
How are collective bargaining chapters and members affected by this reform?
National AAUP membership dues for members in collective bargaining chapters will continue to be based on membership categories of full time, part time, entrant, and graduate student. See 2011 national dues rates for collective bargaining chapter members (.pdf).
State conference dues for collective bargaining chapters in states with mandatory state dues will be paid directly by the chapters to the conference (as many collective bargaining chapters do now). See 2011 state conference dues (.pdf).
How does the new system affect state conferences?
The salary-based national dues rates include the amounts formerly paid by individual members (not covered by collective bargaining) for state conference dues and collected with national dues. Instead of collecting state conference dues from individual members, we set the salary-based national dues rates at a level which will raise enough money to fund state conferences at the same rate as 2010. The national office will pay state conferences in 2011 and 2012 an amount equal to that collected from individual members during 2010.
State conference dues will continue to be assessed on an individual member basis for collective bargaining chapters. Those state conference dues that are mandatory will remain so but will no longer be collected with national AAUP dues. Those collective bargaining chapters now paying mandatory state dues through the national office will, beginning January 1, 2011, pay those dues directly to their conference. Conferences may wish to bill collective bargaining chapters directly. See conference mandatory dues rates for 2011 (for collective bargaining chapters only).
Some state conferences, such as Michigan, currently collect state dues separately from the collection of national dues. These state conferences will continue to collect state dues according to their conference-specific arrangements.
How does the new system affect chapters?
The salary-based dues rates include the amounts formerly paid by individual members for chapter dues collected with national dues. Instead of collecting chapter dues from individual members, the salary-based national dues rates are set at a level which will raise enough money to fund chapters at the same rate as 2010. For the next two years – 2011 and 2012 – the national office will support the work of chapters by paying chapters an amount equal to the amount collected from individual members during 2010. Chapters may continue to assess chapter dues on individual members but the chapter must collect those dues locally.
Chapters that have the payroll deduction option at their institution and that receive dues payments directly from the payroll office may continue to do so but will need to work with the AAUP membership department to convert national dues payments to the salary-based dues rates.
When will state conferences and chapters receive dues payments?
State conference and chapter dues collected in 2010 from individual members and chapters will be paid on the following schedule (subject to adjustment):
Dues collected January–June 2010: September 2010
Dues collected July–December 2010: April 2011
State conference and chapter dues to be paid by the national office for 2011 will equal the total amount collected for each conference or chapter during 2010 and will be paid in April 2011. Dues for 2012 will be paid in April 2012.
How will the new structure work in Nevada?
Faculty eligible for membership in the Nevada Faculty Alliance (NFA) will continue to join and renew via the NFA and at the NFA dues rates. The portion of those dues that correspond to national AAUP dues will be forwarded to the AAUP by NFA.
Is this a dues increase?
Some AAUP members will see a major dues reduction, while the dues increase at the top remains modest. Staff and leadership together explored more than a dozen sets of dues structures based on annual income. The goal was to keep dues as low as possible for all members, keep overall AAUP revenue the same, and give us a means to recruit lower-paid faculty.
What are the new dues rates?
2011 Dues |
Academic Income |
|
q $ 45 |
$30,000 and less |
|
|
q $ 60 |
$30,001–$40,000 |
|
|
q $ 80 |
$40,001–$50,000 |
|
|
q $100 |
$50,001– $60,000 |
|
|
q $140 |
$60,001–$70,000 |
|
|
q $165 |
$70,001–$80,000 |
|
|
q $185 |
$80,001–$100,000 |
|
|
q $205 |
$100,001– $120,000 |
|
|
q $225 |
More than $120,000 |
|
Will membership dues increase each year?
Yes. Dues will continue to be indexed annually according to the formula adopted by the 72nd Annual Meeting in 1986. The formula is the average of the consumer price index and the average salary increase for continuing faculty as reported in the “Annual Report of the Economic Status of the Profession.”
* Additional questions? Please email membership@aaup.org.