About Us

Academic Human Resources administers and provides consultation related to programs, policies and procedures for Instructional and Primary faculty, as well as Graduate Student Instructors, Graduate Student Research Assistants and Graduate Student Staff Assistants. AHR is also responsible for union contract issues and processes for academic employees.

Labor Relations

The Academic Human Resources Office administers the following collective bargaining agreements:

  • Lecturer's Employee Organization (LEO Local 6244, MFT/AFT/AFL-CIO)
  • Graduate Employees Organization (G.E.O. Local 3550, AFT/AFL-CIO)

Under these collective bargaining agreements Academic Human Resources is responsible for

  • Contract negotiations
  • Contract administration, including interpretation of contracts
  • Grievances, discipline and discharge process
  • Arbitration and litigation

Academic Human Resources is prepared to respond to a broad range of questions, concerns, and issues related to the provisions of these agreements and to academic employee activity in general.

Additional Responsibilities

Other Academic Human Resources responsibilities include:

  • Verifying sabbatical service and exceptions
  • Approving reduction in force requests (for staff and primary staff employees in academic units with 10 or more years of service)
  • Approving retirement agreements for faculty, including variances to the furlough policy and the phased retirement policy
  • Approving supplemental salary requests (including overloads in excess of 25%)
  • Providing leadership programming for deans, associate deans and department chairs
  • Providing advice and consultation to faculty and academic administrators covering the entire range of personnel issues for faculty, including leaves of absence, sabbatical eligibility, salary issues, outside consulting requirements, appointment criteria, etc.
  • Coordinating the collection and review of Regents Communications for any personnel action at the senior faculty ranks (appointment, tenure or promotion), appointment to an academic administrative position and appointment as a named endowed chair requiring Regental approval
  • Administering the several faculty grievance procedures
  • Managing the tenure and promotion process for the Provost's Office

Staff Bios

Jeffery Frumkin —Associate Vice Provost and Sr. Director, AHR
Jeffery Frumkin is the Associate Vice Provost and Senior Director for Academic Human Resources. He has been at the University of Michigan since January 1998. Previously Dr. Frumkin has worked at the University of California, Michigan State University, the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities System, and Eastern Michigan University. Dr. Frumkin earned his BA, MA and Ph.D. from Michigan State University in Higher Education Administration.

Ron Dick — Associate Director, AHR
Ron Dick has worked with a wide range of academic units at the University on a broad spectrum of issues related to academic appointment policy for many years. Within Academic HR, Ron has special responsibility for graduate student appointments, including acting as the contract administrator for the labor contract with the Graduate Employees' Organization (GEO).

Alexandra Matish — Sr. Academic Labor Relations Rep.
Alexandra joined Academic Human Resources in June of 2008.  Prior to coming to University of Michigan, Alexandra worked as an Assistant General Counsel at Wayne State University, where she focused on labor and employment law and collective bargaining issues.  Alexandra also worked as a union-side attorney in a law firm specializing in public sector labor law in educational settings.  Alexandra has a Bachelor’s degree in International Relations from James Madison College at Michigan State University and a Juris Doctor from University of Detroit Mercy School of Law.  Her current responsibilities include LEO and GEO contract administration and advising units on academic personnel matters. 

Tammy Deane — Business Administrator
Tammy has been at the University since June 1995.  She held numerous positions within University Human Resources including a position in Academic Human Resources from 1997-2000.  She moved to the College of Engineering in May of 2000 where she worked in the College’s Human Resource Office.  Tammy returned to Academic Human Resources in April 2006.  She processes the monthly Academic Regents Personnel Action Items and coordinates the Promotion and Tenure process for the University, in conjunction with the Provost Office.  Tammy has a Bachelor’s degree in Business Management.