RFP: Anti-Harassment Training

Organizer, Department of Organizing—Connecticut

Legal Administrative Assistant

Legal Internships and Externships

RFP: Anti-Harassment Training

The American Association of University Professors (hereinafter the “AAUP”) invites well-qualified professionals (also referred to as “consultant” herein) to submit proposals to conduct an anti-harassment and discrimination training (“training”) for the AAUP staff. Proposals will be accepted from both individuals and firms, although in the latter case it is expected that the proposal will identify an individual or individuals to work with the AAUP. It is anticipated that the consultant will be retained for a training with the potential to implement approved outcomes from this training (potential for continued services).

Project Objective

The AAUP is committed to providing a work environment that is free from all forms of discrimination and conduct that can be considered harassing, coercive, or disruptive. AAUP wishes to provide training and material regarding discrimination and harassment, and AAUP’s anti-harassment policy to AAUP staff. (There are roughly 23 AAUP staff at the AAUP headquarters in Washington DC, and an additional 7 field staff located throughout the country.)

Anticipated Scope of Work

The purpose of this RFP is to retain a consultant who will analyze and evaluate the current AAUP anti-harassment policy, who will review the results of a workplace climate survey administered by the staff union, who will conduct on-site anti-harassment training (with attention to harassment, discrimination, and equity) for AAUP staff in the fall of 2019, and who will provide materials that can be used for future orientations with new hires. The consultant would lead an on-site training of AAUP staff at AAUP offices in Washington DC, with a potential component for field staff who are unable to attend the training in Washington. Prior to the scheduled training, the consultant will provide the AAUP with an initial program draft and any associated materials (such as, but not limited to, recommendations or best practices related to the AAUP anti- harassment policy). The final scope of work will be negotiated with the selected individual or firm.  

Schedule

Proposals will be reviewed beginning on June 17, 2019.

Proposal Submission Requirements

To receive consideration, proposals must be submitted as follows:

1. Proposals should include a cover letter to the attention of AAUP Associate Counsel, Nancy Long, representing the AAUP. The cover letter must include the name of the proposing individual/firm, the name(s) of any professional(s) proposed to provide direct service for the project, e-mail address, postal address, and telephone and fax numbers.
2. Proposals should include a narrative that speaks to the qualifications in the Evaluation Criteria outlined below, including a timeline with benchmarks and the number of hours and cost to accomplish the Scope of Work outlined above.
3. Proposals must clearly outline the responsibilities both of the AAUP and the selected firm. ALL costs payable by the AAUP for these services must be clearly defined.
4. Proposals should include the resume(s) of the professional (s) who will provide direct service for this project.
5. Emailed proposals must be a single PDF file with electronic signatures as applicable, and sent to nlong@aaup.org. If submitting a printed proposal, deliver six (6) copies to Nancy Long, Associate Counsel, on behalf of AAUP, 1133 19^th Street, NW, Suite 200, Washington DC 20036 ATTN: Anti-Harassment Training Proposal.

By submitting a proposal, the consultant authorizes the AAUP to contact references to evaluate consultant’s qualifications for this project.

Evaluation Criteria

All proposals will be evaluated based on the following key criteria:

• Performance capability—the extent to which the proposal demonstrates ability to provide the depth and breadth of experience, skills, knowledge and creativity generally required by this project
• Completeness and quality of response—the thoroughness and concern for quality in your response
• Understanding of and commitment to the AAUP mission and strategic objectives
• Budget
• Experience with similar membership organizations, preferably in higher education

References

Please list the organization name, contact person, title, telephone number, and email addresses of three (3) references for similar projects, as well as a brief description of each project. Please also provide one reference from a less-than-satisfied client and a brief description of the project’s outcome.

Interviews

Top-rated candidates may be invited to interview with the AAUP Executive Director.

Contract Award

The AAUP plans to select and award a contract to the best qualified consultant. The selected firm and the AAUP will then mutually discuss and refine the scope of work for the project and shall negotiate final conditions, compensation and performance schedule for the subsequent contract to be executed.

For More Information

For questions about this RFP, please contact Nancy Long at nlong@aaup.org or 202-737-5900 Ext. 3649.

AAUP is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of age, sex, disability, race, color, religion, national origin, marital status, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, personal appearance, family responsibilities, genetic information, matriculation, political affiliation, or other characteristics unrelated to professional performance.

Organizer, Department of Organizing—Connecticut

The American Association of University Professors’ (AAUP) Department of Organizing is pleased to announce a professional position for a Connecticut-based organizer, to be filled as soon as possible. This is an exciting opportunity at a critically important time in the AAUP, the academy, and the labor movement; the Organizer will play a role in building the AAUP’s membership, developing grassroots activists and leaders, and helping to move the Association’s organizing strategy forward. The Organizer will travel widely and will work under the direction of AAUP’s Director of Organizing. We invite you to join us in our vital work organizing academic workers to defend and advance the academic freedom, shared governance, due process rights, and economic security of the profession.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Assisting collective bargaining and advocacy chapters with internal organizing drives, including assisting our chapters with developing and implementing campus organizing plans.
• Developing and implementing contract and other issues campaigns at our collective bargaining chapters/local unions. This may include on-the-ground work to recruit and train contract action teams.
• Advancing the Association’s collective bargaining program by staffing solo AAUP organizing drives as well as organizing drives where the AAUP-CBC partners with another union.
• Fostering leadership development and membership growth in our chapters and state conferences, including helping to develop new advocacy chapters on campuses where faculty and/or other academic workers do not have collective bargaining rights.
• Representing the Association before other higher education organizations, college and university bodies, and other unions and professional associations.
• Coordinating with Association leaders and staff on particular projects and long-range planning, including responsibility for planning content for campus, regional, and national training events.
• Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• Three to five years’ experience as an organizer required—either as a paid staff member or a member volunteer (collective bargaining/labor organizing preferred, but we will also consider candidates with political and community organizing experience).
• Experience with membership development and internal organizing.
• Knowledge of labor relations and professional issues relating to higher education.
• Experience and demonstrated ability to work with professional groups and individuals.
• Superior written and oral communication skills and computer proficiency skills—including working familiarity with MS Office suite required. Experience with cloud-based organizing databases preferred.
• Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree and experience teaching and/or conducting research in higher education preferred.
• This position requires a valid driver’s license and the willingness and ability to travel extensively throughout the United States, to work long, irregular hours and weekends as needed, and to accept lengthy field assignments and possible relocation. This is a Connecticut-based position and requires an ability to travel and work throughout the state. A willingness to live in the Connecticut area is preferred.

Compensation

Salary range: $55,000 for minimum qualifications; up to $70,000 for preferred qualifications and experience

Generous benefits package.

Position Classification

This position is categorized as a special appointment senior program officer in the Department of Organizing and is part of the staff union bargaining unit. This is a one-year renewable appointment. This is an exempt position and not eligible for overtime pay.

To Apply

To apply, submit an email a resume with cover letter. You can email it to podos@aaup.org. Please include “Connecticut Organizer-YOUR NAME” in the subject line. You may also mail your resume and cover letter to AAUP, 1133 Nineteenth Street, NW, Suite 200, Washington, DC 20036, ATTN: Connecticut Organizer Search. No phone calls please. Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until position is filled.

The AAUP is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of age, sex, disability, race, color, religion, national origin, marital status, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, personal appearance, family responsibilities, genetic information, matriculation, political affiliation, or other characteristics unrelated to professional performance.

Women and minorities are encouraged to apply.

Legal Administrative Assistant, Washington, DC, office

The American Association of University Professors (AAUP) is pleased to announce a Legal Administrative Assistant position, to be filled as soon as possible, in our national office located in Washington, DC. The primary responsibility of this position is to provide administrative support for two lawyers in the Legal Department. The position reports to the AAUP Senior Counsel. The position involves working with diverse individuals both inside and outside of the AAUP office.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Maintaining paper and electronic legal department files.
• Assisting with internal and external communications, including processing correspondence and memoranda; fielding and responding to email, telephone, and mail inquiries; proofreading department material; and assisting in preparing department reports.
• Assisting in department scheduling and administration, including maintaining department calendar, schedule, and task lists; processing travel expenses and check requests; and assisting in tracking department budget and expenses.
• Maintaining paper and electronic department and committee records, including copying and filing records, maintaining file lists, and maintaining records on archived files.
• Assisting in maintaining human relations files, calendaring and providing notifications to staff and references, and tracking status of human relations activities.
• Working with other staff to prepare for AAUP meetings and conventions and providing assistance at meetings in the DC area, with possible optional travel to meetings outside of the DC area.
• Assisting in the staffing of AAUP committees served by the department, including preparing notices and meeting materials, and maintaining committee rosters and calendars.
• Assisting in tracking and calendaring litigation, including calendaring deadlines, electronic filing with tribunals, and monitoring case status on LEXIS and PACER.
• Tracking legal compliance and governance documents and submissions and maintaining legal compliance and governance files.
• Accessing cases and conducting basic research on LEXIS and PACER.
• Drafting short letters, emails and summaries of activities of the Legal Department.
• Monitoring pending legal cases, reviewing court decisions and drafting short case summaries.
• Proofing and editing memoranda, briefs and other written documents.
• Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• Strong organizational skills and the ability to work independently with modest supervision.
• Strong attention to detail and the ability to prioritize, handle multiple tasks, and meet tight deadlines.
• Strong oral and written communication skills, including the ability to independently draft correspondence; format documents; and proofread material for grammatical, typographical, and spelling errors.
• Strong interpersonal skills, including the ability to work as part of a team and to successfully interact with a variety of personalities.
• Strong technical aptitude and working familiarity with the MS Office suite, particularly Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, and Adobe.
• Associate’s degree required, Bachelor’s degree preferred.
• Administrative office experience preferred.
• Experience working in an association or union setting is preferred.

Compensation

Minimum starting salary: $45,000 (salary is based on full-time employment and may be higher depending on preferred qualifications and experience). Generous benefits package.

Position Classification

This regular full-time position is categorized as a confidential Assistant staff position and is excluded from the staff union bargaining unit. AAUP may consider part-time applicants (24-27 hours per week). This is a non-exempt position, eligible for overtime pay.

Applications

To apply, send a resume and cover letter to legalsearch@aaup.org. Please include “Legal Administrative Assistant – YOUR NAME” in the subject line of the email. You may also mail your resume and cover letter to AAUP, 1133 Nineteenth Street NW, Suite 200, Washington, DC 20036, Attention: Legal Administrative Assistant Search. No phone calls please. Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled. For additional information about the AAUP, please visit www.aaup.org.

The AAUP is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of age, sex, disability, race, color, religion, national origin, marital status, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, personal appearance, family responsibilities, genetic information, matriculation, political affiliation, or other characteristics unrelated to professional performance.

Women and minorities are encouraged to apply.

Legal Internships and Externships

The American Association of University Professors (AAUP) is seeking qualified interns or externs for summer or the academic year.  

The intern and extern positions will be in a legal department currently staffed with two lawyers and one paralegal and involves significant in-house legal and other support work for the Association. The legal office files amicus briefs in higher education cases of national significance, provides legal information on a wide range of issues to staff and members all over the country, and acts as a resource on higher education issues.  Staff and volunteer lawyers are experts in such areas as academic freedom, discrimination, affirmative action, intellectual property, and employment.  Interns and externs can expect to be asked to research and write on a variety of legal issues including First Amendment, higher education, collective bargaining, election, tax, labor, personnel, financial, and contract issues.

Past legal interns have helped research and write amicus briefs in the federal court system, updated a multi-state survey on faculty handbooks as employment contracts, and researched and written legal outlines and fact sheets on topics such as “Faculty and Defamation Suits,” “Faculty and Family Leave Issues,” and “Academic Freedom and the First Amendment.” Externs should be in their second or third year of law school and be available to work approximately fifteen hours per week.  Summer internships are available to students who have completed their second year of law school.  AAUP legal staff will work with interested applicants to arrange for public interest stipends, academic credit or pro bono credit from their law school.

Qualified applicants will possess excellent analytical skills

• strong writing and research skills
• interest in higher education issues
• enthusiasm and initiative

To apply for an externship or internship position, please send a cover letter, resume, official transcript and writing sample to:

AAUP – Legal Department
ATTN:  DC Internship Program
1133 19th St. NW, Suite 200
Washington, D.C.  20036
legal.dept@aaup.org (If applying by email, please address the Subject line as: “DC Internship + Your Name”)

For more information, please see AAUP’s Legal Program.