RFP: Racial Justice Training Program

Midwest Lead Organizer

Organizer

Legal Internships and Externships

Membership Engagement Coordinator (AAUP-BHSNJ)

RFP: Racial Justice Training Program

The American Association of University Professors (hereinafter the AAUP) invites well-qualified professionals (also referred to as “consultant” herein) to submit proposals to conduct a racial justice training program for the AAUP, with the end goal being to help the AAUP engage in lasting and meaningful cultural change, including at the organizational level. Proposals will be accepted from both individuals and firms. In the latter case it is expected that the proposal will identify an individual or individuals to work with the AAUP.

Organization Background

Founded in 1915, the AAUP has helped to shape American higher education by developing standards and procedures on academic freedom, tenure, and shared governance and by fighting to preserve and protect higher education as a common good. The AAUP is governed by a Council of 22 members who are elected from the membership. The Association is composed of collective bargaining (unionized) and advocacy (nonunion) campus-based chapters who serve as the locus for power and change at the campus level. Roughly three-quarters of the AAUP’s membership is housed in our collective bargaining chapters. There are also AAUP State Conferences in about 20 states. These state conferences serve as umbrella organizations for the chapters in that state. The AAUP has approximately 35 employees, 45,000 members, and an annual operating budget of $8.5 million.

Please find additional information about the AAUP at www.aaup.org.

Project Objective

The AAUP, through its elected leadership, is committed to fighting systemic racism in higher education and the academic profession. The AAUP is also committed to reckoning with how racism and white privilege have shaped the AAUP’s work at every organizational level and wants to engage in the systemic change necessary to incorporate a racial justice approach into our work. The proposed racial justice training program should enable the national AAUP leadership and staff to initiate an informative and illuminating change process to guide our project objectives. The training program should also help provide tools and roadmaps for helping our chapters and conferences similarly incorporate principles and practices of racial justice into their work.

Anticipated Scope of Work

The purpose of this RFP is to retain a consultant who will conduct a series of racial justice workshops and sessions with the leadership and staff of the national AAUP. Specifically, these workshops and sessions should include:

1. Educating the AAUP leadership and staff about racial justice principles and training on specific topics including avoiding stereotyping, the impact of microaggressions, action steps for working on racial justice, tackling workplace harassment, ensuring equality in hiring practices, and/or an introduction to cultural competence;
2. Assisting the AAUP leadership in identifying its role in establishing racial justice as a fundamental value of the AAUP and encouraging its leadership to address racial justice issues;
3. Working with AAUP staff and leadership on developing and implementing a racial justice strategic plan and assessing the organization’s needs around racial justice and equity including a review of AAUP’s history with regards to racial justice and our core mission work;
4. Facilitating a process that assists the AAUP leadership and staff with creating a diversity, equity, and inclusion plan for staffing which includes efforts for recruitment, support, and retention of staff;
5. Teaching strategies that will assist the AAUP leadership and staff in reviewing our policies, standards, and reports through a racial equity lens;
6. Identifying ways to assist the AAUP leadership and staff in uncovering systemic practices and policies which prevent the association and organization from being more diverse and assist with developing practices and policies that foster more inclusion.

The final scope of work will be negotiated with the selected individual or firm.

Schedule

Proposals will be reviewed beginning on October 23, 2020.

Proposal Submission Requirements

To receive consideration, proposals must be submitted as follows:

1. Proposals should include a cover letter to the attention of AAUP Executive Director Julie Schmid. 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 of both the AAUP and the selected firm. ALL costs payable by the AAUP for these services must be clearly defined. The proposed budget must not exceed $60,000.
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 executivedirector@aaup.org with the subject line ATTN: Racial Justice Workshop Proposal.

By submitting a proposal, the consultant authorizes the AAUP to contact references to evaluate the 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. In particular, experience in leading diversity and racial and social justice workshops and training is vital.
• Completeness and quality of response—the thoroughness and concern for quality in your response.
• Understanding of and commitment to the AAUP’s mission and strategic objectives.
• Experience with similar membership organizations, preferably in higher education.

References

Please list the organization name, contact person, title, telephone number, and email addresses of at least three (3) references for similar projects, as well as a brief description of each project.

Interviews

Top-rated candidates may be invited for a Zoom or telephone interview.

Contract Award

The AAUP plans to select and award a contract to the best qualified consultant by December 1, 2020. 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 Julie Schmid at executivedirector@aaup.org.

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. 

Midwest Lead Organizer

The American Association of University Professors (AAUP) is pleased to announce a Midwest Lead Organizer position to be filled as soon as possible. This is an exciting opportunity at a critically important time in the AAUP, the academy, and the US labor movement. The Midwest Lead Organizer will play a vital role in identifying and implementing new collective bargaining campaigns as well as internal organizing campaigns with existing units; defining key issues; increasing the diversity of our membership; creating and sustaining coalitions; mobilizing members; and winning increased freedoms and protections for faculty, academic professionals, and graduate student employees. The lead organizer will be based in the Midwestern United States and will travel widely across the region, working under the direction of AAUP’s Director of Organizing. We invite you to join us in our critical work organizing academic workers to defend and promote academic freedom, shared governance, due process, and the economic security of the profession.

Duties and Responsibilities

The Midwestern Lead Organizer will play a key role in developing and executing the regional organizing plan, with a focus on organizing new collective bargaining chapters, assisting our existing collective bargaining chapters with internal organizing campaigns, and building advocacy membership in the region. The position will include the following responsibilities:

• Serving as the AAUP’s regional lead on new collective bargaining campaigns, including developing and implementing campus organizing plans in keeping with the goals and objectives identified in the regional and national 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. 
• Developing and implementing internal organizing campaigns, especially in right-to-work states.
• Developing and implementing advocacy organizing campaigns at non-union campuses.
• Working collaboratively with AAUP’s union partners on joint organizing campaign plans. 
• Supporting AAUP chapters and state conferences in the region and helping develop and mentor diverse and talented grassroots leadership that can run effective issues-based campaigns, build membership, and increase the influence of our members on their campuses and in their states. 
• Representing the Association before other faculty organizations, college and university bodies, and other unions and professional associations.
• Coordinating with Association leaders and staff on specific projects and long-range planning, including responsibility for planning content for campus, regional, and national training events.
• Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• Five or more years of experience working for labor unions required. Experience with white-collar unions preferred.
• Demonstrated ability with successfully developing and implementing comprehensive internal and/or external union organizing plans, including organizing timelines, benchmarks, and milestones.
• Demonstrated experience working with leaders and members from national, state-level, or local affiliates to build strong organizing structures.
• Demonstrated expertise with organizing databases.
• Experience successfully using digital tools to facilitate organizing work preferred.
• Knowledge of higher education preferred.
• 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.
• Ability to work independently within the context of a national strategic plan.
• Valid driver’s license and a willingness to travel regionally and nationally, and to accept lengthy field assignments and possible relocation. A willingness to live in the Midwestern United States, is required, although location will be flexible until campuses in the region reopen safely.
• Willingness to work evening and weekend hours, as required.
• Bachelor’s and/or advanced degree preferred.

Compensation

Salary range: Starting salary of $80,000 for required qualifications; higher salary for preferred qualifications and experience. Generous benefits package, including health insurance and 401(K).

Position Classification

This position is designated as a senior program officer in the Department of Organizing and is part of the staff union bargaining unit.  This is an exempt position and not eligible for overtime pay.

To Apply

To apply, email a resume with cover letter to podos@aaup.org.  Please include “Midwest Lead Organizer – YOUR NAME” in the subject line of the email. You may also mail your resume and cover letter to AAUP, ATTN: Western Lead Organizer Search, 1133 Nineteenth Street, NW, Suite 200, Washington, DC 20036.  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. 

Organizer

The American Association of University Professors (AAUP) is pleased to announce a professional position for an organizer, to be filled as soon as possible. The Organizer will be central to implementing AAUP’s national strategy for building AAUP’s membership and local organizations in both collective bargaining and non-collective bargaining settings. A successful candidate will be a skilled organizer, an effective strategist, and capable of operating independently and using good judgment. This is an exciting opportunity at a critically important time in the AAUP, the academy, and the labor movement. The Organizer will travel widely and 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

• Developing and implementing issue or strategic campaigns for our chapters. This includes on-the-ground work to recruit and train organizing committees, as well as working on-site with members to plan and execute campaign objectives.
• 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.
• Assisting AAUP chapters with building membership and engagement, including assisting our chapters with developing and implementing campus organizing plans.
• Advancing the Association’s collective bargaining program by staffing solo AAUP organizing drives as needed, as well as organizing drives where the AAUP partners with another union.
• 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 years’ experience as an organizer required. (Union organizer experience preferred, but we will also consider candidates with political and community organizing experience).
• Experience with membership development, leadership identification, and grassroots organizing required.
• Knowledge of labor relations and professional issues relating to higher education preferred.
• Experience successfully using digital tools to facilitate organizing work preferred.
• Experience and demonstrated ability to work with professional groups and individuals required.
• 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.
• Associate degree required; BA or 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 once campuses in the region reopen safely. This is a national position and requires an ability to travel and work throughout the region.

Compensation

Salary range: $65,000 for minimum qualifications; more for preferred qualifications and experience. Generous benefits package.

Position Classification

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

To Apply

To apply, submit a resume and cover letter. You can email them to podos@aaup.org.  Please include “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: 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 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.

Membership Engagement Coordinator (AAUP-BHSNJ)

The American Association of University Professors-Biomedical Health Sciences of New Jersey (AAUP-BHSNJ) seeks to fill the position of Membership Engagement Coordinator. The AAUP-BHSNJ is a union representing approximately 1,400 faculty members at various Rutgers University medical and health-related professional schools, as well as 200 faculty members employed by Rowan University at the School of Osteopathic Medicine.

Here is a novel opportunity to represent physicians, dentists and other health related professionals.

We at AAUP-BHSNJ believe in a vision where our universities are models for faculty engagement and provide a high-quality work environment for everyone. Quite simply, if Rutgers and Rowan Universities are to become among the best academic health centers, they must start by becoming national leaders in their treatment of faculty.

We are seeking a candidate with the following:

Activities and Duties

• Recruits voting union members on a consistent basis and executes membership enhancement plan
• Identifies potential contacts among the faculty to gain support for the union
• Maintains consistent communication with leaders and members
• Develops new leaders through education, action, participation and follow-up
• Leads membership committee meetings, constructs agendas and provides direction for next steps
• Evaluates and assists with establishing community coalition and other alliances where appropriate
• Coordinates campaigns and membership drives

Qualifications

• A passion for creating a workplace full of dignity and justice
• A high degree of energy -- you love to hustle
• An ability to follow-up with members and outstanding interpersonal skills
• An ability to stay organized and multitask when faced with several projects that require immediate attention
• A Bachelor’s degree
• A minimum of three (3) years of work experience in union organizing (a candidate without union experience may satisfy this requirement by demonstrating an ability to recruit members and/or develop leadership in other contexts.)
• Familiarity with an academic or healthcare environment a plus
• Excellent written and oral communication skills
• Computer and social media proficiency
• Driver’s license

Experience

• Education: Bachelor's (Required)
• supervisory: 2 years (Preferred)
• membership/marketing: 2 years (Preferred)
• sales: 1 year (Preferred)

Work Location
Based in Newark, NJ or New Brunswick, NJ

Job Type
Full-time. The schedule would typically be Monday to Friday, 9AM - 5PM.

Compensation
Salary Range: $50,000.00 to $100,000.00 /year. Benefits include health insurance, dental insurance, retirement plan, paid time off, flexible schedule, and professional development assistance.

This Job Is

• A job for which military experienced candidates are encouraged to apply
• A job for which all ages, including older job seekers, are encouraged to apply
• A job for which people with disabilities are encouraged to apply

How to Apply
Please send resume to jensen@aaupbhsnj.org.