This information contains the answers to the most commonly asked questions from university administrators, news and information, and tools and templates to help keep you efficient and compliant with the current LEO agreement. There is also detailed information about the LEO Professional Development Fund.
All non-tenure-track instructional staff are covered by the agreement. These titles do not include dry appointments, GSI appointments, tenured/tenure track faculty from within the hiring unit or outside of the hiring unit, clinical and adjunct clinical faculty, or Visiting titles.
The following list includes current LEO titles and job codes.
Determinations as to whether or not specific non-tenure-track instructional positions are subject to, or would legitimately be excluded from, the terms of the LEO contract can be complex and nuanced. Contact Academic Human Resources, or the Offices of Human Resources in Dearborn and Flint, with specific questions about whether an individual should be excluded from the bargaining unit.
The contract between the University and the LEO is the controlling authority for employment conditions for lecturers covered by it. If the contract is silent on a topic covered by the SPG, for example smoking in the workplace, the SPG would govern. If the contract conflicts with the SPG, the contract controls. If you have any questions or doubts about a conflicting rule, please contact your Academic HR representative or the Offices of Human Resources in Dearborn and Flint.
Schools/Colleges are required to publish current workload standards for full-time equivalent employment, for each Lecturer title employed within the Unit. If an individual academic Unit calculates effort in a different manner from the general school/college workload standard, the Unit is required to publish their effort calculations.
Academic Units may continue and/or establish course credit equivalencies as appropriate and shall also define and publish their course credit equivalencies.
For additional information on LEO Workload standards, please review Article XXVIII and/or contact Academic HR or the Offices of Human Resources in Dearborn and Flint.
All positions are required to be posted on the U-M Careers website via the eRecruit system. The contract provides for circumstances when the posting requirement can be waived, subject to advance approval by Academic Human Resources:
Please note that the posting waivers listed above do not replace the need to request specific institutional reporting waivers from Tammy Deane in AHR, or the Offices of Human Resources in Dearborn or Flint.
Spring and summer appointments should continue to be made following the practices currently in place. Please contact Academic HR, or the Offices of Human Resources in Dearborn and Flint, if your academic unit is considering any change to its existing spring/summer hiring practices.
Article V, Union Rights, allows a one-hour time slot for LEO to make a presentation at any orientation session that a department, school or college may provide for new Lecturers at the beginning of each academic year. If LEO is interested in presenting, they must contact the academic unit’s designated contact person to arrange for the presentation. If you have questions about a request by LEO to meet with new Lecturers, please contact Academic Human Resources or the Offices of Human Resources in Dearborn or Flint.
Article XXX, Temporary Substitute Teaching, addresses the responsibility of units for substitute teaching assignments. If an academic unit assigns a Lecturer to substitute teach, the unit is then responsible for compensating the Lecturer based on the Lecturer’s full-time rate and percentage of effort associated with the additional teaching assignment. In situations where Lecturers are allowed by the academic unit to make independent arrangements to have another instructional faculty cover the course, they are left to their own agreements between one another; the unit does not have to approve or arrange payment.
A Lecturer I appointment is primarily for the teaching (and its related duties) of assigned courses. There is no requirement of any additional duties or responsibilities with this appointment. Lecturer I’s are appointed for periods of one (1) or more semesters. Lecturer I’s who have held appointments for eight consecutive or at least eight of the last ten fall and winter semesters shall undergo a major review. A Lecturer I appointment does not carry with it the presumption of renewal.
An Intermittent Lecturer is defined as one who typically teaches one or more regularly occurring courses as an ongoing part of the academic curriculum, but only one (1) semester per academic year. For this group of Lecturers, one (1) semester or less per academic year is the regular appointment pattern and not the result of layoff due to lack of instructional/programmatic need or budgetary support. An Intermittent Lecturer shall, upon written request, undergo a review after their fifth consecutive year of service. If the review is successful, the Intermittent Lecturer will receive a 7 % raise*. An Intermittent Lecturer shall, upon written request undergo a second review after their ninth consecutive year of service. If the review is successful, the Intermittent Lecturer will receive a second 7% raise*.
If the course that the Intermittent Lecturer regularly teaches is canceled, the Lecturer is subject to layoff and has recall rights for the semester in which they usually teach but only for the effort typically associated with their appointment. There are no other recall rights available to the Intermittent Lecturer.
Please contact Academic Human Resources (Ann Arbor), or the Offices of Human Resources in Dearborn or Flint for assistance in developing these appointments.
*Employees whose start date is on or after the start of the 2022-2023 academic year shall receive a five percent (5%) major review increase to the Employee’s full-time rate effective on the 1st of September following successful completion of the first and second major reviews. Please contact Academic Human Resources with questions pertaining to major review increases.
Article XIV, Provisions for Special Case Appointments, defines five potential categories of appointments that fall within the purview of the contract but have distinct characteristics associated with them. These appointments must be approved in advance by Academic Human Resources and are typically limited term appointments. They include:
All Lecturer appointment letters must include the following information:
A Lecturer may continue to use a title held prior to September 1, 2007 as a working title. When utilized, working titles should be approved by the involved appointing department and do not alter the formal appointment title of a Lecturer.
Under the provisions of Article XIV, Provisions for Special Case Appointments, a working title may also be used in conjunction with an approved appointment. Please contact Academic HR, or the Offices of Human Resources in Dearborn or Flint, if you wish to request one of these appointments.
Non-reappointment or reduction in appointment effort because of budgetary considerations, programmatic change or lack of work is considered a layoff. Termination for cause is not considered a layoff. Likewise, a Lecturer who chooses not to teach for a semester would not be placed on layoff status but maybe eligible for a leave of absence if requested.
Whenever possible, all Lecturers on the unit’s layoff list will be notified of position postings within the unit via electronic mail by the unit and will be given an opportunity to apply for appointment opportunities. It is the responsibility of the Lecturer on the layoff status list to provide current contact information to the unit or department and to provide current application materials.
If you have any questions regarding what constitutes a layoff and how to proceed, please contact Academic Human Resources or the Offices of Human Resources offices in Dearborn or Flint.
Non-reappointment or reduction in appointment effort because of budgetary considerations, programmatic change or lack of work is considered a termination for Lecturers I and Intermittent Lecturers who are non-reappointed prior to being appointed for a third semester. For more information, please see Article XII.E.2.a, Layoff.
HRRIS provides an updated seniority list to each school or college on August 15, November 15, and March 15 of each academic year. However, it is the responsibility of the unit to maintain the layoff/recall list. The HRRIS seniority list should be used, if needed pursuant to the language in Article XII, in conjunction with the unit’s own data to provide the most accurate information.
Additionally, Article XII, Layoff, Reduction in Appointment Effort, and Recall, Section E., describes the specific recall rights for Lecturer I as they differ from other Lecturer classifications. If you have any questions about the recall rights of a Lecturer I, please contact Academic HR or the Offices of Human Resources in Dearborn or Flint.
Additional information regarding recall rights can be found in Article XII.E.1-7.
Employees on full layoff with recall rights who apply for an open position within the bargaining unit and meet the required qualifications will be guaranteed an interview. This guarantee will last for the duration of the employee’s full layoff as defined in Article XII.
Employees on partial layoff, must contact the HR representative from the area in which they received their layoff in order to guarantee an interview if the Employee meets the required qualifications.
Notice should be given to a lecturer as soon as possible after the decision to layoff is made and should include specific language regarding benefits as found in Article XII, Layoff, Reduction in Appointment Effort, and Recall. In any event, the following deadlines must be met to avoid a late notice penalty:
| Fall Semester | Winter Semester | |
|---|---|---|
| Lecturer I/Intermediate Lecturer | April 30 | December 5 |
| Lecturer II | April 30* | |
| Lecturer III/IV | March 31* |
*Appointments for Lecturers II, III, and IV are made on an academic year basis. Template layoff letters are available from Academic Human Resources via Drop-Box.
Effective September 1, 2021, the minimum full-time salary rates on each campus are as follows.
| Ann Arbor | Dearborn | Flint | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lecturer I/II | $51,000 | $43,000 | $43,000 | ||
| Lecturer III/IV | $53,000 | $45,000 | $45,000 | ||
Effective September 1, 2022, the minimum full-time salary rates on each campus are as follows.
| Ann Arbor | Dearborn | Flint | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lecturer I/II | $51,000 | $47,000 | $47,000 |
| Lecturer III/IV | $53,000 | $49,000 | $49,000 |
Effective September 1, 2023, the minimum full-time salary rates on each campus are as follows.
| Ann Arbor | Dearborn | Flint | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lecturer I/II | $51,000 | $51,000 | $51,000 |
| Lecturer III/IV | $53,000 | $53,000 | $53,000 |
Yes, a unit may change its criteria or make significant changes in review procedures, so long as the criteria are consistent with the collective bargaining agreement. However, notice must be given in writing (email will suffice) to all Lecturers in the unit by July 1, for the upcoming academic year.
The annual activity report is required of all lecturers and is used to supplement interim evaluations and major reviews. At a minimum, the lecturer will in the annual report, identify and summarize the Lecturer’s performance and achievement relevant to their assigned duties during the past year, according to specifications provided by the academic unit. Units may expand the information required to be submitted as part of the annual report if they so choose. Units are required to notify their lecturers once per year of the requirement to submit an annual report and the due date for submission. Please see Article XIX, Performance Evaluation for more details. Should a lecturer fail to submit an annual report, the academic unit may withhold the following year’s annual increase. For more information on this process please contact Academic Human Resources or the Offices of Human Resources in Dearborn or Flint.
An interim evaluation must be conducted as least once before the end of the fifth semester worked by a Lecturer I or III and should be based, at minimum, on annual reports, student evaluations and syllabi. The unit must provide written feedback to the lecturer regarding the interim evaluation and the written feedback will be considered in the subsequent major review.
A LEO adjunct may request a review after five years of service as an adjunct. Upon successful completion of a review, a Lecturer appointed in an adjunct title shall receive a one-time payment in an amount equal to seven percent (7%) of the full-time rate of the adjunct appointment, prorated to the appointment effort in the adjunct title during the semester in which the review was completed*. Such payment shall be made no later than the end of the month following the month in which the review is completed. A LEO adjunct may request a second review after nine years of service as an adjunct and receive the same lump-sum payment as in the first review, upon successful completion of a review*.
*Employees whose start date is on or after the start of the 2022-2023 academic year shall receive a lump sum payment of five percent (5%) of the full-time rate of the adjunct appointment, prorated to the appointment effort in the adjunct title during the semester in which the review is completed.
An Intermittent Lecturer may submit a written request for a review after their fifth year of service. If the review is successful, the Intermittent Lecturer shall receive a seven percent (7%) increase to the Lecturer’s full-time rate effective on the 1st of September following successful completion of the review*. An Intermittent Lecturer may request a second review after their ninth year of service. If successful, the Intermittent Lecturer shall receive a seven percent (7%) increase to the Lecturer’s full-time rate effective on the 1st day of September following successful completion of the review*.
*Employees whose start date is on or after the start of the 2022-2023 academic year shall receive a five percent (5%) major review increase to the Employee’s full-time rate effective on the 1st of September following successful completion of the first and second major reviews.
The Professional Development Fund for LEO Lecturers began in September 2008. It is funded by the Provost’s office and calls for applications for grants to be submitted five times per academic year, provided that all available funding has not yet been disbursed. This program is separate and distinct from the CRLT program. Download a Word document of the application cover page.
The 2021-2024 collective bargaining agreement between the University and the Lecturers’ Employee Organization (LEO) calls for the continuation of the Professional Development Fund (the “Fund”) for LEO Lecturers on the Ann Arbor campus. Awards of up to $1,500 are available to eligible Lecturers each academic year. Eligible Lecturers may apply more than once per year if they initially apply for less than $1,500, and until they reach the $1,500 ceiling.
The purpose of the Fund is to promote teaching excellence and creativity through the support of Lecturer professional development. The Fund provides grants in support of activities that enhance Lecturers’ teaching at the University of Michigan. The Fund is not intended to provide a salary supplement to the Lecturer.
The LEO PDF has enabled me to attend conferences and present my work. For example, my colleagues and I have been working to address the gender imbalance in computer science. One part of this is our teaching assistant hiring process. We reached gender balance from an unbalanced student body without the need to consider gender or grades. We published our work at the ACM Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education (SIGCSE). The LEO PDF helped me attend and present.
With support from the LEO Professional Development Fund, this year, I joined the New Leadership Academy Fellows Program. The fellowship was designed to foster diversity, equity, and inclusion leadership among staff and faculty in higher education institutions. The fund covered a large portion of the tuition cost associated with my enrollment in the 2020 cohort. Participating in the academy allowed me to reflect on transformative leadership models in higher education, build meaningful relationships with a diverse group of practitioners, and engage in critical reflection about my identity, role, and purpose in social work education. Whereas many professional development opportunities involve one-time participatory experiences, the use of LEO funds for sustained, year-long leadership development was vital to my professional identity in social work.
Successful proposals will be prospective only and will address one or more of the following criteria, consistent with the expectations of excellence in the applicant’s appointing academic unit. Please address one or more of the following criteria and how it will demonstrably expand your knowledge base for successful teaching:
Please note that the committee will consider funding material transportation costs and exhibition-related expenses if the proposal adequately demonstrates how these items conform to the selection criteria described above.
*Due to the increased frequency of funding, funds may be exhausted prior to the deadline dates listed above.
This information is for the LEO Inclusive Teaching Professional Development Fund on the Ann Arbor Campus only.
The 2021-2024 collective bargaining agreement between the University and the Lecturers’ Employee Organization (LEO) calls for the establishment of the Inclusive Teaching Professional Development Fund (the “Fund”) for LEO Lecturers on the Ann Arbor campus. This program is effective September 1, 2021 through August 31, 2024. Awards of up to $1,200 are available to eligible Lecturers each academic year. The purpose of the Fund is to provide professional development funds for lecturers seeking to develop and enhance skills to better engage in inclusive teaching practices at the University of Michigan. It is funded by the Provost’s Office and applications are due May 15 of each year.
Note: For the Ann Arbor campus, up to half of the Lecturer Inclusive Teaching Professional Development Fund money can be used to pay stipends to Ann Arbor Lecturers participating in the ODEI-CRLT Lecturer Inclusive teaching Fellows Program.