DAVID COOK / ASST. NEWS EDITOR

Unionized non-tenure track (NTT)  faculty  in the  College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) at USD have reached a tentative agreement with USD administration that includes significant   pay   increases,  stronger worker protections and new opportunities for advancement. 

If ratified, this will be the first union contract in USD history. For union leadership, the  contract represents a breakthrough after over a year of official bargaining and last spring’s strike. In May 2025, faculty held a two-day unfair labor practice strike protesting the University’s cancellation of courses without bargaining, lack of job security and low pay for non-tenured staff. Soroya Rowley, a NTT professor of theatre at USD, is a negotiator for the union. Rowley explained what this contract agreement means for the union as a whole.

“This is a historic victory,” Rowley stated. “CAS NTT faculty will now have stronger pay, more dignified  working  conditions, and  better policies for promotions and teaching contract renewal. We hope this agreement will set new benchmarks and help to raise standards for all faculty members at our University.”

USD NTT faulty and student supporters march across campus during strike last semester. Emma Pirhala/The USD Vista

The contract introduced a new wage scale with average raises of 18% to 20% over four years. It also includes new safeguards for job security, and establishes clearer pathways for promotion and advancement. A new safeguard is an appeals process for faculty whose contracts are not renewed. A professional development fund will also provide support for research and conference travel.

USD senior David Szluk explained how this agreement might affect his academic life.

“One problem I’ve frequently encountered are very limited office hours windows for professors and if for instance you have class during that time, you are just screwed,” Szluk explained. “Increasing availability for these things would allow more students to get one-on-one time with their professors which can generally benefit the student body.”

For Dr. David Miller, an assistant  professor of history who has been at USD for more than 20 years, joining the union was both personal and philosophical. 

“I  just thought  it  made  sense,” Miller stated. “Non-tenure track faculty are a permanent part of higher education now. I thought that USD, like most colleges and universities around the country, had gotten out of alignment with the reality of non-tenure track. The reality is that the non-tenure track teach half the classes on average around the country and they’re [on campus] longer. It is more of a career than it was maybe 20 or 30 years ago.”

When it comes to the tentative contract, Miller believes it hits the core goals. 

“I think it really is good,” Miller said.  “I think it is a strong contract, especially for a first contract. Overall, I think people are very satisfied with it. It addresses those big issues.” 

The University of San Diego stated their stance after a year of bargaining with the NTT union.

“We value the tremendous contribution that our  NTT   faculty members make to our university,” USD explained. “For nearly a year we have made extraordinary efforts to bargain in good faith with the representatives of the NTT CAS faculty union. And we have an obligation to ensure that our university remains financially sustainable in order to fulfill our mission. At the heart of that mission, as always, is our students. We thank all involved for their time and diligence throughout the collective bargaining process, and moving forward, together.”

Miller noted that reaching the agreement did not come without trade-offs. Faculty and administrators both had to make  sacrifices  to  arrive  at  a   deal.

“I think both sides, the University, and the non-tenure track, we both had to concede some things,” Miller said. “We had to compromise. We  had  to  work   things out. And, you know, the university gave a little and we gave a little.”

 Union leaders acknowledged that not every priority made it into the first contract. Rowley said one of the hardest concessions for faculty involved healthcare.  

“An  example of something we had to concede to on the union side that was tough was we really wanted to create a pathway for more of our professors to access health benefits,” Rowley said. “That is something we hope to address in the next contract.” 

Rowley added that while the union   has   aspirations   to   make  more progress on basic health services. 

“We did get some additional access to the vaccine clinics that happen on campus.” 

These  unresolved  issues  could raise questions among faculty about whether the agreement went far enough. Miller acknowledged those concerns but said he views the cost as justified. 

“For those closer to the bottom, it absolutely is worth it mathematically, because their raises are going to be well over 20%,” Miller continued.

“My position is I am personally willing to pay dues so that my colleagues and my friends can get a vaccine, can have higher wages and can have some job security. For me, it is absolutely worth it.”

 The contract will only take effect  if  the  faculty  ratify  it. Online voting began Friday, Sept. 9, with in-person voting open Sept. 22–26. While some professors appear to be on board with the agreement, the final measure of support will come through the vote itself.

Students joined NTT faculty in a strike last semester on USD’s campus.  @usd_nttfaculty/Instagram