Article 18 of our Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) governs the process in which a faculty member can receive an oral or written “letter of reprimand” for a relatively minor incident that CSU management wants to flag as inappropriate or somehow failing to meet the duties of a faculty member.  

It is important to know that a letter of reprimand, though it feels upsetting, is not a form of “discipline” in our CBA. Disciplinary actions are covered in Article 19.  

As faculty, our CBA protects our rights in the event of a reprimand. CSU management is attempting to erode these rights at the bargaining table. You can read their Article 18 proposal at www.cfabargaining.org.  If you are not a union member, join us. By being a CFA member, you help to protect your rights, the rights of your colleagues, and the future of the CSU for all students and workers.  

Article 18 lays out several rights that faculty have when receiving a letter of reprimand, including: 

  • A written reprimand shall be clearly identified in the document as a “letter of reprimand.” (18.1).  For example, if an administrator contacts you and says they are placing a “memo of concern” in your file, they cannot do this under our CBA. Contact your CFA faculty rights representative or other CFA chapter leaders immediately. 
  • You must be provided with a copy of the written reprimand at least five (5) days prior to its placement in your Personnel Action File. (18.2).
  • Within 14 days, you can request to meet with the administrator who issued the reprimand, and they shall not unreasonably deny your request. We recommend you bring a CFA advocate, or other advocate of your choice, with you to the meeting. (18.3).
  • You have the right to attach a rebuttal to a written reprimand and/or request correction of the record per your rights under Article 11, Personnel Files. (18.6).
  • After 3 years, with no further reprimands or forms of discipline issued, the university shall approve any request you make to have the letter of reprimand, and any rebuttal you wrote, be removed from your file. (The request itself will also not be placed in your file.) A statement verifying the permanent removal of the reprimand shall be provided to you. (18.7).
  • In most cases, this is what happens with written reprimands. Essentially, management issues this “slap on the wrist” to a faculty member, and three years later, the letter is erased forever. 

However, in a small number of cases – where letters of reprimand lead to discipline or where they are cited as a reason not to reappoint, tenure, or promote a faculty member – letters of reprimand are subject to arbitration (e.g. you can fight them through the contractual process).  

  • Browse the faculty contract here. 
  • See an archive of Faculty Rights Tips.
  • If you have questions about a faculty rights tip or would like to suggest a tip, please write us with the subject line “Faculty Rights Tip.” 
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