Regarding Instructional Support Provided by Instructional Connections

Memorandum of Understanding  

WHEREAS, Bowling Green State University (the “University”) and the Bowling Green State University Faculty Association – AAUP (“BGSU-FA”) (collectively, the “Parties”) have agreed to a Collective Bargaining Agreement effective July 1, 2019 through June 30, 2022 (CBA) setting the terms and conditions of employment for Bargaining Unit Faculty Members (“BUFM”); and

WHEREAS, the Bowling Green State University Faculty Association–AAUP (“BGSU-FA”) is aware of an agreement between the University and a company called Instructional Connections, LLC (“IC”) to provide “virtual teaching assistants” for the Online Master of Business Administration; and 

WHEREAS, the Allen W. and Carol M. Schmidthorst College of Business (Schmidthorst College) at BGSU began offering an Online Master of Business Administration (OMBA) during spring 2020 in partnership with Academic Partnerships; and

WHEREAS, the University desires to enter into an agreement with Instructional Connections (IC Contract) to provide academic coaches as instructional support for the OMBA, a copy of which is attached as Exhibit A; and

WHEREAS, the University and BGSU-FA desire to document their understandings regarding the IC Contract.

NOW, THEREFORE, the Parties agree as follows:

1. In any course where an IC employee is used, the Instructor of Record will provide overall academic supervision of all Academic Coaches. The methods of supervision will be conducted remotely through the use of conference calls, email communications, or Web-based conferencing.
2. Schmidthorst College faculty will serve as the Instructor of Record for all courses, create and provide all course content and assessments and participate in the selection, evaluation, and retention of academic coaches whose credentials will be submitted to the Office of Institutional Effectiveness for separate and independent verification for the purpose of HLC compliance;
3. IC will provide academic coach resumes that meet COB qualification requirements. The Department Chair, in consultation with the Instructor of Record, will review resumes and hire the academic coach.
4. BGSU, in consultation with the Instructor of Record, can replace an Academic Coach unsuited to continue in that role. An Instructor of Record will notify the Department Chair to request removal of such person from their instructional support duties and, in consultation with the Instructor of Record, to provide a replacement.
5. Faculty will be afforded the opportunity to utilize an academic coach for OMBA courses with enrollment greater than 50 students. The decision to utilize an academic coach will be a collaborative one between the course instructor and department chair.
6. The OMBA is currently designed with overload teaching. Faculty have the choice whether to teach or not, if offered an overload course in the OMBA.   
7. Input from Academic Coaches shall never be used in any faculty evaluations, including, but not limited to merit, tenure, promotion and reappointment.
8. Course evaluation data will be used for RTP and merit in accordance with the faculty members department RTP and Merit policies.  Student evaluations shall be used for merit and RPT; faculty can include an explanatory memo in their dossier in regards to student evaluations.    
9. The use of IC coaches shall not constitute “substantial support” as defined in Article 25, Section 2.5 of the 2019-2022 CBA.  BUFM shall retain sole and exclusive ownership of any intellectual content related to courses taught using IC Academic Coaches.
10. The applicability of this Memorandum of Understanding is limited to the particular circumstances described herein.
11. In consideration of the foregoing, the BGSU-FA agrees to withdraw the Request to Bargain pursuant to the CBA dated December 12, 2019.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Parties have caused this Memorandum of Understanding to be made effective November 11, 2020.

BOWLING GREEN STATE UNIVERSITY

By:

Joe B. Whitehead, Jr.
Provost and Senior Vice President

BOWLING GREEN STATE UNIVERSITY FACULTY ASSOCIATION- AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF UNIVERSITY PROFESSORS

By:

David J. Jackson
BGSU-FA President