Response to Retirement Plan Changes

In mid-November, faculty members received notice that their investment options within their TIAA accounts would be changing significantly within several weeks’ time. The AAUP-UD had received no advance notice of these changes and was offered no additional information about them. As a result, the AAUP-UD leadership called for a meeting with UD administration, which was held on December 6, 2019, and attended by AAUP-UD leaders, senior human resources officials, and Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs Matt Kinservik. In this meeting, AAUP-UD leaders expressed serious concerns about the lack of transparency and faculty involvement in this process. They also shared comments they had received from bargaining unit members about the undue burdens placed upon them to make important financial decisions and consult with financial advisors given such a narrow time frame within such a busy time of the semester. The administration responded by scheduling additional individual and group informational sessions related to the plan changes and by providing a webinar about these changes. The administration also agreed to meet with AAUP-UD representatives about significant HR-related matters at least once a quarter. AAUP-UD leaders hope that these meetings will foster a spirit of greater cooperation between themselves and UD administrators on HR-related issues.