PREAMBLE

This Agreement is entered into by and between the Board of Higher Education, acting through the Council of Presidents of the State Colleges, and the Massachusetts Teachers Association/NEA, as the exclusive collective bargaining agent for members of the bargaining unit described in Article I, Section A.

Each College is an integral part of the institutions of higher learning operated through the Board of Higher Education and the Boards of Trustees of the State Colleges under the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

The basic functions of instruction, research and public service at each College are performed by a community of men and women who have chosen a profession whose primary functions are facilitating learning, assisting students in their quest for scholarly fulfillment, demonstrating the qualities associated with scholarship and performing public service. It is therefore fitting that, in accordance with the provisions of this Agreement, they participate with students and administrators in decision-making at each State College.

Accordingly, this Agreement seeks to establish a firm basis for the professional role of faculty, teachers and librarians at the State Colleges.

The Massachusetts Maritime Academy is an institution of public higher education which also has a military mission in accordance with the standards and regulations directed by the Maritime Administration of the United States Department of Commerce, under the Maritime Academy Act of 1958, as amended, and the United States Navy and Coast Guard. As such, the Academy prepares young men and women for careers as officers in the United States Merchant Marine and the seagoing components of the armed services. As a specialized College, it has programs, facilities, and goals which are unique to it.

The parties to this Agreement recognize the need and the opportunity for improvement and growth at each College. They pledge themselves cooperatively therefore to the task of attaining high standards in teaching, research and service to the community.