Editor’s Note: An earlier edition of this article made it appear Friday’s meeting was between the university and the AAUP. This is not correct; while the university and the AAUP are negotiating, that meeting was just with Kent State’s chapter of the AAUP.

Kent State University held a meeting Friday with the Kent State chapter of The American Association of University Professors to negotiate medical benefits and salary offerings for tenured faculty.

At this meeting, a final offer for the tenure track contract was not accepted by either side. According to aaupkus.org, in previous meetings, the discussions focused on faculty workload, grievance appeals and procedures, and a decrease in the overall cost of medical coverage paid by tenured faculty and salary adjustment.

The two groups first met April 20, 2015 and have been in negotiation throughout the summer. According to KSU AAUP media spokesperson and KSU public relations associate professor William Sledzik, there are 774 members of the KSU faculty that receive tenured track benefits.

“The AAUP KSU has declared impasse, and what that essentially means is we don’t see the two parties coming together on certain issues – we can’t reach agreement,” Sledzik said. “So we have declared impasse and we have requested the intervention or assistance of a federal mediator.”

When reached for a response from the administration bargaining team, Eric Mintz, the associate dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, said that he could not comment on the negotiation rules. However, Sledzik said that, “things will come together in the coming weeks. Both sides, I’m sure, hope that.”

Megan Hermensky is a faculty and academics beat reporter for The Kent Stater. Contact her at [email protected].