United Academics, a University of Oregon faculty union, published a list of concerns and requests for UO for the upcoming school year on Aug. 24. After releasing the statement, UA worked with UO to create safe COVID-19 policies for instructors and faculty.

In the statement, UA asked the university to allow for more flexible teaching options for faculty in quarantine, as well as a joint COVID-19 committee between UA and UO. UA president Avinnash Tiwari said the union has been meeting regularly with UO administration about these concerns. The conversation has been moving in a good direction, he said.

“It’s not always an easy conversation, but I’m really glad that we’re able to talk,” Tiwari said. 

He said UA sees COVID-19 safety policies as a priority. “It was really important for us,” Tiwari said, “and I’m glad the central administration responded.”

UO Spokesperson Saul Hubbard said meetings with UA have been positive.

“Through regular communication and exchanges throughout the pandemic, we have heard UA member concerns and utilized their feedback to inform decision making and implement strategies that support our faculty, our students and our institution,” Hubbard wrote in an emailed statement. He said these decisions include policies around indoor face coverings and work flexibility for faculty.

The two parties were also able to get a system in place for work flexibility, which Tiwari said was an important ask.

Tiwari said faculty members all have different health conditions and responsibilities, such as child care, making some of their situations unique and complex. He said UO has done a good job planning contingencies, so UA has been able to go through specific situations in great detail.

UO sent out a detailed outline for instructors who have to transition to remote learning during the term, Tiwari said. The university also implemented a new paid leave option for all employees if they or someone they live with needs to be quarantined.

Hubbard wrote that UO is confident its “layered safety approach” and existing policies will support the majority of its faculty and staff. He said these procedures include flexible work arrangements, employee leave and other accommodations.

While these policies allow for work flexibility in many situations, Tiwari said UA would have liked to see a comprehensive plan for faculty with children. Specifically, he said UA wants an exemption that would allow teachers with young children to teach remotely. This would mitigate the risk of faculty bringing COVID-19 from campus to unvaccinated members of their household, Tiwari said.

“We would have loved to have seen some sort of policy that thinks of caregivers as a group,” Tiwari said. “And I think there’s a lot more work to be done with caregivers overall.”

Even though UA and the university don’t always see eye to eye, Tiwari said talking with UO administration regularly builds trust between the two groups — something that hasn’t always been there.

“Last year things were tough between us,” he said. “I think we all kind of realized we need a little bit of a reset.”

Tiwari said UA understands UO has a number of considerations — including finances — to balance when it works to create new policies. But an increase in communication makes the process smoother, even if the debates are challenging, Tiwari said.

“Conversations don’t always go super well,” Tiwari said, “but we’re meeting and we’re talking and we’re putting things out.”

Hubbard wrote that the university looks forward to collaborating more with UA. UO “will continue to leverage input from committees and task forces, which include representation from United Academics and other employee groups, to inform the university’s planning process,” he wrote.

Tiwari said COVID-19 will likely throw new challenges at the university and its faculty this coming year. But, whatever changes come and new policies the committees make, he said he is proud of how faculty has fought through adversity.

“I’ve seen my colleagues go above and beyond to deliver the best experience they could within the circumstances for students,” he said.