Standing Committees

Standing committees are created in the IFO constitution and include a member from each state university campus and a board liaison. 

ACADEMIC AFFAIRS COMMITTEE

The Academic Affairs Committee (AAC) will ascertain the faculty point of view on system-wide academic issues. The committee formulates recommendations for the Board in areas such as: professional development, academic planning, improvement of academic climate and standards, development of grants and consortia, and protection of faculty intellectual property rights. The AAC promotes the preservation of the autonomy, integrity, and unique quality and character of each institution.

The Contingent Appointments Committee (CAC) addresses matters of concern to faculty with fixed term, adjunct, and community faculty appointments.

CONTINGENT APPOINTMENTS COMMITTEE

FEMINIST ISSUES COMMITTEE

The Feminist Issues Committee addresses matters of concern to the women in the IFO.

LGBTQ+ ISSUES COMMITTEE

The LGBTQ+ Issues Committee addresses matters of concern to and the equitable treatment of LGBTQ+ faculty.

The Government Relations Committee (GRC) develops the IFO position on various legislative issues and recommends legislative priorities to the IFO Board.

GOV'T RELATIONS COMMITTEE

The Faculty of Color Issues Committee addresses matters of concern for faculty of color, American Indian faculty, religious minority faculty, and immigrant faculty regarding racial justice, equity, and inclusion.

FACULTY OF COLOR ISSUES COMMITTEE

Continuing Committees

Continuing committees are constituted by the IFO Board of Directors and included in the IFO Operating Procedures. 

The Action Committee is tasked with engaging faculty in the valuable work and efforts of the IFO. The committee builds support, solidarity, and community within the membership of the IFO. 

ACTION COMMITTEE

The Salary Equity Committee addresses matters relating to salary equity and is responsible for overseeing the annual review process and salary studies. 

SALARY EQUITY COMMITTEE

The Treasurer’s Advisory Committee (TAC)  establishes and reviews investment policy and advises the Treasurer on budgetary issues, including a full review of the annual budget prior to consideration by the Board.

TREASURER ADVISORY COMMITTEE

The Disabilities Advocacy Committee provides information and advocacy to faculty members with disabilities, especially with regard to the process of making requests for reasonable accommodation.

DISABILITIES ADVOCACY COMMITTEE

Caucuses

This caucus was developed by faculty to support and organize faculty of color and American Indian faculty statewide, to mobilize our collective voices to improve the working conditions for faculty of color and American Indian faculty at MN State universities

MNSU Faculty

MNSU FACULTY ASSN EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE ROSTER

IFO REPRESENTATIVES

These individuals, along with the FA President, represent our campus on the IFO Board of Directors.

NAME OFFICE PHONE

Andy Johnson AH313 (507)-389-5660

Bobby Bothmann ML3097 (507)-389-2010

Alfredo Duplat AH227 (507)-389-2116

IFO NEGOTIATOR

Represents our Faculty Association on the IFO Negotiations Team.

NAME OFFICE PHONE

Dan Cronn-Mills AH230 (507)-389-6160

UNIT REPRESENTATIVES

Each of the six colleges plus the library and unaffiliated faculty elect a unit representative to represent them on the Faculty Association Executive Committee and at the Meet and Confer meetings.

OFFICE FIRST NAME  LAST NAME

Allied Health and Nursing Rachelle Fuller

Arts and Humanities Kirsti Cole

Business Kris Rosacker

Education Alexandra (Alex) Panahon

Library/Unaffiliated Casey Duevel

Science, Engineering, and Technology Lin Chase

Social and Behavioral Sciences Kristi Rendahl

ASSESSMENT AND EVALUATION COMMITTEE

OFFICE FIRST NAME  LAST NAME

Allied Health and Nursing Stacey Van Gelderen

Arts and Humanities Deepa Oommen

Business Paul Brennan

Education Laura Maki

Library/Unaffiliated Lisa Baures

Science, Engineering, and Technology Shaheen Ahmed

Social and Behavioral Sciences Moses Langley

BUDGET COMMITTEE

OFFICE FIRST NAME  LAST NAME

Allied Health and Nursing Lynnette Engeswick

Arts and Humanities Michael Olson

Business Vacant Vacant

Education Scott Page

Library/Unaffiliated Jessica Schomberg

Science, Engineering, and Technology Sarah Kruse

Social and Behavioral Sciences Sue Burum

EXTENDED EDUCATION COMMITTEE

OFFICE FIRST NAME  LAST NAME

Allied Health and Nursing Molly Timlin

Arts and Humanities Anne Kerber

Business Kathy Richie

Education David Kimori

Library/Unaffiliated Justine Martin

Science, Engineering, and Technology Elizabeth Pluskwik

Social and Behavioral Sciences Christine Pigsley

FACULTY DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE

OFFICE FIRST NAME  LAST NAME

Allied Health and Nursing Kristen Abbott-Anderson

Arts and Humanities Vacant Vacant

Business Maria Kalyvaki

Education Dana Wagner

Library/Unaffiliated Kari Much

Science, Engineering, and Technology Mohammad Yamin

Social and Behavioral Sciences Vacant Vacant

FACULTY IMPROVEMENT AND SABBATICAL COMMITTEE

OFFICE FIRST NAME  LAST NAME

Allied Health and Nursing Brooke Burk

Arts and Humanities Stephanie Thorpe

Business Vacant Vacant

Education Kim Johnson

Library/Unaffiliated Lindsay Murn

Science, Engineering, and Technology Shaobiao Cai

Social and Behavioral Sciences Lisa Perez

COMMON CURRICULUM COMMITTEE

OFFICE FIRST NAME  LAST NAME

Allied Health and Nursing Jonathan Hicks

Arts and Humanities David Gadberry

Business Cheryl Trahms

Education Lisa Vasquez

Library/Unaffiliated Jennifer Turner

Science, Engineering, and Technology Rob Sleezer

Social and Behavioral Sciences Pat Nelson

GRADUATE CURRICULUM AND ACADEMIC POLICY COMMITTEE

OFFICE FIRST NAME  LAST NAME

Allied Health and Nursing Megan Mahowald

Arts and Humanities Jacqueline Arnold

Business Ishuan Li

Education Rebekah Degener

Library/Unaffiliated Miranda Hellenbrand

Science, Engineering, and Technology John Burke

Social and Behavioral Sciences Amelia Pridemore

PLANNING COMMITTEE

OFFICE FIRST NAME  LAST NAME

Allied Health and Nursing Marilyn Swan

Arts and Humanities John Paul

Business Vacant Vacant

Education Tracy Peed

Library/Unaffiliated Daardi Mixon

Science, Engineering, and Technology John Thoemke

Social and Behavioral Sciences Andrea(Andi) Lassiter

RESEARCH COMMITTEE

OFFICE FIRST NAME  LAST NAME

Allied Health and Nursing Tammy Neiman

Arts and Humanities Joshua Preiss

Business Chris Brown Mahoney

Education Jason Kaufman

Library/Unaffiliated Heidi Southworth

Science, Engineering, and Technology Allison Land

Social and Behavioral Sciences Shawna Petersen-Brown

UNDERGRADUATE CURRICULUM AND ACADEMIC POLICY COMMITTEE

OFFICE FIRST NAME  LAST NAME

Allied Health and Nursing Susan Tarr

Arts and Humanities George Grubb

Business Gloria Meng

Education Kiersten Hensley

Library/Unaffiliated Pat Lienemann

Science, Engineering, and Technology Jonathan Hardwick

Social and Behavioral Sciences Saiful Islam

Contract Settlement

2021-2023 IFO/MinnState Contract Settlement

The information and highlights of the tentative agreement are linked below. The contract settlement has tentatively gone into effect. Contracts await full ratification by the Legislature.

SUMMARY OF ECONOMIC CHANGES

SUMMARY OF LANGUAGE CHANGES

CHANGES TO APPENDIX G

TEXT OF ARTICLE 11, SALARIES

EXPANDED SICK/COVID LEAVE LOU

CONTRACT RATIFICATION TIMELINE

FULL TEXT OF LANGUAGE CHANGES

WHAT IS AN EDUCATIONAL EQUITY GAP?

Contract Settlement Highlights

SALARY INCREASES

FY22 (Academic Year 2021-2022)

  • 0% across-the-board.

  • Tenure, promotion, and career steps continue.

FY23 (Academic Year 2022-2023)

4.1% total increase in base salary for faculty in tenured, probationary, and fixed-term appointments:

  • 1 step increase for faculty in tenured, probationary, and fixed-term appointments in FY 2022 who return in FY 2023.

  • 1.7 % Salary Schedule Enhancement.

  • Two additional steps added to the top of the salary schedule.

5% increase per credit for adjunct and community faculty

  • Minimum per credit increase from $1567 to $1,645 per credit.

Instructors maximum step increased from step 18 to step 20.

MANAGEMENT OFFERS DEFEATED BY IFO

  • Admin ability to terminate first-year probationary faculty with no cause and no departmental input.

  • Admin ability to terminate coaches on multiyear appointments before the end of their appointment.

  • Admin requires Metro faculty to teach 24 credits with no additional compensation.

  • Admin eliminating the maximum early separation benefit for 20+ year faculty who are not reassigned and are terminated three years after notice of position elimination.

  • Admin to select faculty reps to committees.

EQUITY & INCLUSION LANGUAGE

Professional Development and Evaluation (Article 22, Section A)

New language states that a faculty member’s continuous improvement toward equity and inclusion and the elimination of education equity gaps is highly valued within the five criteria.

Criteria for Professional Development and Evaluation (Article 22, Section B)

New language states that evidence of achievement in the five criteria may include activities intended to help close educational equity gaps, and provides that beginning in the 2022-2023 academic year, faculty should normally propose to engage in such activities (intended to help close educational equity gaps) with respect to at least one of the criteria.

Plan Content (Article 22, Section D, Subd. 1)

New language states that faculty may place emphasis on equity and inclusion work in any of the five criteria, including the equity and inclusion work of mentoring, advising, and supporting equitable outcomes for students, staff, and faculty; and provides that after July 1, 2022, normally PDPs should include at least one activity under any one of the five criteria that is intended to help close the education equity gaps.

Report Content (Article 22, Section E, Subd. 1)

Provides that PDRs submitted after January 1, 2023, normally should include a report on at least one activity under any one of the five criteria where the activity is intended to help close the education equity gaps.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT INCREASES

Professional Improvement Funds for faculty in tenured, probationary, and fixed-term appointments increases from $600,000 to $680,000 (Article 19, Section A, Subd. 3).

Professional Improvement Funds for community faculty increase from $57,800 to $68,000 (Article 10, Section J, Subd. 4b).

Professional Improvement Funds for adjunct faculty increase from $70,000 to $80,000 (Article 19, Section A, Subd. 4).

Article 19, Section B, Professional Study and Travel Funds increases from $1,450 to $1,500 per full-time equivalent faculty member.

ADJUNCT & COMMUNITY FACULTY BENEFITS

Stipends for adjunct and community faculty for orientation, training, and professional development opportunities.

  • Adjunct and community faculty eligible for orientation and a $100 stipend for attending new faculty orientation.

  • Adjunct and community faculty receive $100 stipend per day for attending required training and/or for professional development opportunities offered by the university.

Professional Improvement Funds for Metro State community faculty increases from $57,800 to $68,000 (Article 10, Section J, Subd. 4b).

Professional Improvement Funds for adjunct faculty increases from $70,000 to $80,000 (Article 19, Section A, Subd. 4).

Order of Layoff (Article 23, Section B, Subd. 3)

Requires administration to use a seniority roster that has been in existence for 12 months prior to issuing a layoff notice from the roster.

Position Elimination for 20+ Year Faculty (Article 23, Section B, Subd. 3.c.)

Clarifies that the administration’s options when eliminating a position held by faculty with 20 or more years of service begin with a permanent reassignment to another position in the university without retraining, and further clarifies that if the 20+ year faculty member is not permanently reassigned to another position, and is not successful in developing a mutually agreeable retraining program with the President, they will be laid off at the conclusion of the third academic year from the date of notice, and will receive severance, insurance, and tuition waiver benefits provided to faculty on layoff (in addition to receiving the maximum early separation incentive benefit provided in Article 16, Section D, Subd. 3, i.e., payment equal to base salary).

Recall (Article 23, Section E)

Clarifies that when a university intends to fill a vacancy, tenured faculty who were laid off from the same /substantially equivalent position from that university are reemployed in inverse order of layoff from the university.

Seniority Application; Bumping Rights for Faculty Who Are Cross Rostered (Article 29, Section B)

New language articulates the bumping rights for faculty who receive a notice of layoff and who are cross rostered in more than one department or program. More info is available here.

TENURED & PROBATIONARY FACULTY PROTECTIONS AND ENHANCEMENTS

Compensation of Coaches – Division I Head Coach Bonus Pay (Article 10, Section G, Subd. 4.f)

Universities may establish bonus pay for Division I Head Coaches for winning a championship, qualifying for the final four or a national championship final game, or winning a national championship, as long as the same bonus amounts for the same accomplishments are offered to head coaches of Men’s and Women’s teams.

Compensation of Coaches – Supplement Pay (Article 10, Section G, Subd. 4.g)

Coach’s salary supplement pay will be increased by the same percentage of across-the-board schedule enhancements and step increases in the corresponding fiscal year in which the salary increases are negotiated.

Annual Appointments for Coaches (Article 10, Section G, NEW Subd. 12) 

A new annual appointment is created that allows a coach to be placed on a 12-month appointment with the coach’s agreement, with total pay equivalent to a step on the salary schedule (except Division I coaches may exceed the salary schedule), with the possible addition of supplement pay for summer camps. More info is available here.

Termination of Intercollegiate Sports

(Article 10, Section G, NEW Subd. 13)

Provides that if a sports program is terminated, coaches may be laid off with 9 months’ notice following the termination of the sport; laid off coaches will be eligible for severance if they have 6 years of service and for health insurance continuation and tuition waiver extension the same as faculty on layoff.

COACHES PROTECTIONS AND IMPROVEMENTS

 

COVID AND PARENTAL LEAVE EXPANSION

Sick Leave for Supervision of Quarantining Children Due to COVID Exposure (Article 17 Section A)

IFO executed a Letter of Understanding to expand Article 17, Section A sick leave benefit effective July 1, 2021, to allow the use of accrued and available sick leave when faculty are required to be at home to provide parental supervision for minor children under age 16 who are required to quarantine at the direction of the child’s/children’s school or child care provider due to COVID-19 exposure where the child/children are not themselves ill. More info is available here.

Parental Leave Expanded to Family Leave (Article 18, Section B)

Unpaid parental leave is expanded to allow a faculty member to take up to two years of leave to care for a faculty member’s spouse/domestic partner, parents, and/or children, without loss of seniority.

HEALTH, DENTAL & LIFE INSURANCE

Changes to health plans are effective January 1, 2022 unless otherwise noted.

MN ADVANTAGE HEALTH INSURANCE PLAN PREMIUM INCREASE 3%.

  • Premium increases $1.10 per month (from $36.64) to $37.74 per month for Single coverage.

  • Premium increases $7.50 per month (from $250.00) to $257.50 per month for Family/Dependent coverage.

HEALTH INSURANCE PLAN IMPROVEMENTS

  • The effective date for insurance coverage for new hires will change from 35 to 30 days after hire.

  • 3-D mammograms will be included as preventative care.

  • Employees will no longer need a referral to an eye doctor for an eye injury or illness.

CHANGES IN HEALTH INSURANCE BENEFITS PLAN FOR EMERGENCY ROOM VISITS:

  • Co-pay for emergency room visits will no longer be subject to the deductible.

  • Cost Level 1 co-pay remains at $100. Cost Level 2 co-pay increases from $100 to $125, and cost level 3 co-pay increases from $100 to $150. Cost level 4 changes from 25% co-insurance to $350 co-pay.

All other health insurance co-pays, coinsurance, deductibles for services, and maximum out-of-pocket medical and prescription drug limits remain the same as 2021.

DENTAL AND OTHER OPTIONAL INSURANCE PREMIUMS FOR 2022

Dental and optional vision insurance premiums remain the same.

  • Premium for Single coverage remains at $13.50 per month.

  • Premium for Family coverage remains at $53.40 per month.