The selection of a chief negotiator for collective bargaining with the faculty is seen as the single most critical decision that must be made by the administration and the board of trustees. The most fundamental question is whether the responsibility will be vested in an outsider or an insider. (MLW)

Since renegotiation or termination of a president's contract by a governing board can bring misunderstanding, irritation, and trauma, an outside expert is suggested as being beneficial to both sides. A contractual expert can represent the governing board and help determine whether the chief executive should be rehired or terminated. (Author/MLW)

New and incumbent presidents sometimes are reticent about discussing the specifics of compensation and benefit packages. Third-party negotiators might help bring these issues into the open. A negotiation process and nine specific topics for inclusion in negotiation discussions are outlined. (Author/MSE)

Using third-party negotiators in university presidential salary discussions may widen, not bridge, the gap between presidents and boards. It is more promising to educate presidents and boards about compensation packages and the comparative benefits for presidents of similar institutions and acknowledge the relationship between compensation and…

When the faculty of the Community College of Philadelphia organized for bargaining in 1970, the board hired two outside experts to negotiate. In the course of four crisis situations the outside negotiators imposed their own solutions, creating tension in the administration and loss of control by the board. (Editor/LBH)

The role of trustees varies according to the type of institution and expertise available, but guidelines are suggested that can be used flexibly. They deal with size of bargaining unit, institutional posture, mistakes to avoid, bargaining policy establishment, negotiator appointment, grievance procedures, strike policy, etc. (LBH)

Collective bargaining, coming amid other external influences and protected by legislation, imposes restraints on trustee flexibility, but it also promises certain advantages in faculty relations such as a clarification of procedures. This article is taken from an AGB-supported study of collective bargaining's impact on governance. (LBH)

Most opinion favors laws designating the board of trustees as employer, a clear specification of what is and is not bargainable, exclusion of department heads and other supervisors from the union, elections in which union/no-union is settled separately from choice of union, and only limited use of arbitration. (Editor)

An aggressive attempt to organize the faculty of the Pennsylvania State University system, in which the AAUP competed with the National Education Association, ended in a victory for "no agent." How the administration conducted itself, and the lessons to be learned from the experience are reported. (Author/LBH)

A primary rule for implementing the collective bargaining grievance process in higher education is to settle early and at the lowest possible level. To achieve this or to prevent grievances, clear contract language, a contract administrator, and a "two-one-one" grievance structure should be adopted. (Author/JMD)