Prospective Faculty (Full-time)
Whether you are applying for a position at UNB or you are at the stage of considering an offer of a contract, we encourage you to consult our Collective Agreement. The following topics will likely be of particular interest.
Association membership (Article 4): Upon joining UNB you will automatically become a member of the bargaining unit, but in order to become a member of AUNBT you must indicate in writing to the Association that you wish to become a member. You can download the membership form (or it can provided to you by our office). The article also outlines grounds under which you can file an objection to being a dues paying member of the Association.
Salary structure and related questions (Articles 36A and 36B): At UNB, salaries are determined by (a) salary Floors, (b) Market Differentials, and (c) the amount per year of credit-in-rank; these amounts are predefined, while (d) the President’s Discretionary amount is negotiated. Floors and Ceilings for each rank, Progress Through the Ranks amounts, and Economic Adjustments, can be viewed on our Salary Grid page. Credit in rank for previous experience may be awarded, resulting in a starting salary above the relevant floor. Years of credit-in-rank are allocated with the goal of treating an employee who has equivalent experience at another institution the same as if she or he was initially hired at UNB. How this is calculated is currently being studied by AUNBT and UNB and we hope to have a clearer articulation of the process in the near future. Meanwhile, we encourage you to seek clarity from your prospective Chair or Dean on this matter. Occasionally, individuals will be offered an additional amount added into their base salary, in the form, for example, of a President’s Discretionary amount.
Market differential: Members within certain disciplines are granted a market differential amount. This should be noted in your contract automatically, i.e. not subject to negotiation, based on a schedule detailed in the Market Differential Chart.
Benefits (Article 35): At UNB, such benefits as medical, dental, life insurance, and pension are negotiated outside of Collective Bargaining. Information about current rates and schedules can be found on the Fringe Benefits page of the UNB HR website.
Moving allowance (Article 37): From Article 37.01: “Upon appointment or upon reassignment from one (1) campus to the other, in accordance with the provisions of this Collective Agreement, Employees shall be eligible for reimbursement of bona fide relocation expenses normally up to 15 percent of the current salary floor of the Assistant Professor.” Additional information on amounts and allowable expenses, as well as the full text of Article 37, is available on this page.
Professional Expense Account (Article 50): AUNBT has negotiated an annual PEA for all eligible members to support research and teaching. It is currently set at 3.2% of the floor salary of the rank of Assistant Professor for all members, and can be used for a wide range of activities and purchases. It can also accumulate for up to four years. The PEA amounts are listed at the bottom of the salary grid table.
Start-up funds: There are currently no formal provisions for start-up funds, but they are regularly negotiated and received by in-coming faculty members. UNB has signaled they are working on a more regularized approach to this, but for now we can provide some context for anyone who is in the process of negotiating for it as part of their contractual discussions.
Tenure and promotion (Articles 16, 19, 23, 24, 25): There are several articles to consult, including those describing workload, criteria, and process. At UNB there are actually five levels of assessment, with slight variations depending on whether you are housed in a departmentalized faculty or not. The first level is a peer assessment by a committee of your home department or faculty. This is followed by an assessment by your chair or dean. Subsequently, you are assessed by a representative committee from your faculty (in departmentalized faculties) or from a group of faculties (Interfaculty Assessment Committee) in non-departmentalized faculties. This is followed by an assessment by the dean or the chair of the Interfaculty Assessment Committee. The final level of assessment is by a committee of three vice-presidents, all of which is then subject to approval by the Board of Governors. There is an opportunity for iterative responses at all levels. (Input from outside UNB is only required for promotion to full professor.)
Sabbaticals (Article 31): All members are entitled to apply for a full-year sabbatical every seven years. This can also be converted to half-year sabbaticals according to a predictable calculation. In addition, MOU 21 of the current Collective Agreement permits new members in the professorial faculty stream to apply for a pre-tenure half-year sabbatical if they desire. This will be reviewed in the next round of bargaining, but for now it is in effect and being used by several junior members.
Although the normal term for all three of tenure, eligibility for sabbatical and for promotion to Associate Professorship is six years, it is not unusual for credit to be given differentially for those things in a contract. We can discuss this with you if you are unsure about what you see on your contract offer.
Along with your contract offer, you will receive a letter inviting you to contact us, and we encourage you to do so with any and all questions you might have about these and any other matters related to your contract and your decision about joining our community.