Unionization in Higher Education: Sharing Experiences and Building a Network

Thursday, April 24, 2025

3:15 PM - 4:15 PM PT

Approach: Tactical
Level: Basic

Author(s)

Jennifer Kulbeck, MFA (she/they)

Assistant Provost and Director of Academic Operations
Saint Mary's College of California
San Francisco, California, United States
MC

Matthew Cipriano, MA Higher Education Administration Leadership, MA Media Ecology

Associate Dean of Administration and Operations
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai - Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences
New York, New York, United States
Ray Lutzky, PhD (he/him/his)

Vice President, University Partnerships
Element451
Reno, Nevada, United States

Overview: Higher Education unionization has been booming, particularly among graduate student workers. Whether you are currently working with a unionized group on your campus, or you are interested in developing competencies in this area for the future, this session will connect you with other professionals who have experience in this specialized area. This session will provide an overview of the landscape of unionization in higher education and offer insights from the presenters’ experiences with graduate student and faculty unions on topics such as understanding collective bargaining agreements, maintaining relationships with unionized groups, and working with internal teams as a graduate education professional among HR or legal specialists. Participants will share their experiences and insights and build a network of trusted colleagues working in this area.