Tenured and tenure-track faculty members of Kent State’s American Association of University Professors (AAUP-KSU) voted to approve a new collective bargaining agreement. The final votes were due by Friday at 11:59 p.m. through an online voting system.

Kent State’s Board of Trustees ratified the agreement last Wednesday during an unscheduled board meeting. The new contract is retroactive, according to University Spokesperson Eric Mansfield. The old contract ended in August 2015.

AAUP-KSU hosted a meeting for their members the same day as the board meeting. The meeting was used to present a synopsis of the new contract to members and open the voting process.

William Sledzik, spokesperson for AAUP-KSU, contacted The Kent Stater via email on Saturday with the results for the vote.

“Members of AAUP-KSU’s tenure-track faculty unit have voted overwhelmingly to accept the tentative contract,” Sledzik wrote. “The online vote was 430-12, or 97 percent in favor.”

Sledzik continued to say that 80 percent of the voting body cast their votes.

Kent State’s collective bargaining agreements with non-tenure track faculty are staggered with the tenured and tenure-track contracts. The non-tenure track agreements will expire this year, according to Mansfield.

Karl Schneider is an administrative reporter for The Kent Stater. Contact him at [email protected].