UC’s Problem: Lecturers don’t have control over the technologies we are forced to use. 

Technology plays an increasing vital role in our classrooms, but UC administrators unilaterally decide what technologies are used. UC signs expensive contracts with third-party vendors, giving them access to our course materials and our classrooms without our consent, and imposes technological engagements that we do not choose and that serve no pedagogical value. Our autonomy in the classroom is increasingly threatened and our professionalism is regularly undermined.

• UC offers no transparency around what data they are collecting about us and where that data goes; 
• Third-party vendors have access to our images, lecture content, and audio and video recordings, threatening our intellectual property and privacy rights; 
• New requirements related to classroom technologies and accessibility create new complications and additional work, for which teaching faculty are not compensated; 
• New forms of surveillance and electronic monitoring are introduced into our classrooms without our consent;
• Our current contract does not offer a way to challenge or remediate issues regarding technology, privacy, and data collection. 

Our Solutions: New Protections for Teaching Faculty

Based on the results of over 1200 bargaining surveys, our Unit 18 Table Team made ensuring that lecturers retain their autonomy in the classroom a priority in this contract campaign. We are fighting for new protections for our privacy and our right to choose what tools we use to teach. Because technology shapes so many aspects of our working conditions, we are advancing these goals across multiple proposals, including:

• Protect the privacy of teachers, students, and anyone else in our classrooms. (New Article 44)
• Guarantee the freedom of teaching faculty to choose which, if any, software they will use to facilitate learning in their classrooms. (New Article 44, Article 2 – Academic Freedom)
• Ensure that changing technologies don’t result in lecturers being laid off or reduced in time. (New Article 44, Article 17 – Layoffs and Reductions in Time)
• Prevent workload creep from bigger mixed format classes, new technology interfaces, or other modes of remote instruction (New Article 44, Article 24 – Workload).