The Story:
Over the last 20 months, the organizing effort at Fictional University has matured from a modest core of two leaders and 24 activists into a robust movement of 930 members. This growth has been a study in resilience, moving from a failed initial petition to a high-traction second effort and a successful "Back to School Membership Blitz."
Despite this progress, the campaign is not yet ready for a formal card-authorization drive. Leadership has established a strict threshold for success: 70% density within the potential unit, with 20% of those members being somewhat engaged and 10% serving as highly engaged leaders. At the current membership level, these benchmarks remain unmet. Furthermore, the campaign must stabilize a small AAUP contingent of 19 members who frequently allow their annual memberships to lapse unknowingly.
The departmental landscape reflects a broad base of support, though it is punctuated by pockets of resistance, particularly within the Business and Law departments. Strategically, the campaign has managed to embed at least one highly respected and influential member within these skeptical departments to maintain a bridge to the movement. This organizational structure is tested by a mounting list of institutional grievances, ranging from a decade of stagnant pay and a four-year raise freeze to the threat of restrictive benefit cuts and a mandated 10% reduction in the workforce.
The "adjunctification" of the institution has further strained the community, leaving full-time employees overworked and adjuncts trapped in a cycle of unreliable, last-minute scheduling. Tension has reached a breaking point with the proposed elimination of four academic programs - two of which are unique to the state - and the controversial discovery that retirement funds are being invested in AI companies. Faculty increasingly view these investments as a breach of ethical and fiduciary duty, providing the campaign with a powerful moral platform as they push toward their density goals.
Month 20 (May 2026)
The campaign to organize Fictional University is in the trenches. Out of a 1,520-person bargaining unit, they currently sit at 965 members (61% density). The goal is 70% density in the total bargaining unit before demanding recognition from the employer.
Staffing:
- Samantha Stephens (Lead): Surgical, clinical power-mapper. Owns the College of Liberal Arts (CLA).
- Klaus Hargreeves: Overly aggressive card-signing machine. Owns Science & Engineering (CSE).
- Sophia Petrillo: Arrived Month 17. Trying to rebuild trust in the Social Sciences.
- Jean Valjean: Left Month 13, creating a 4-month data vacuum.
Notable Faculty Activists:
- Gomez Addams (Business): The classic 4-to-1 conversion. Started openly hostile, but Samantha broke through to him over administrative overreach.
- Atticus Finch (Law): The "Secret 1". A moral compass in a hostile department. Highly respected, operates quietly.
- Liz Lemon (CLA): The burnout risk. High energy early on, but workload fatigue has her dropping from a 1 to a 3.
- Fox Mulder (CSE): Activated late by the AI retirement fund scandal. Driving massive tech-faculty turnout.
- Sarah Connor (Nursing): The pragmatist. Focused solely on benefits cuts. No-nonsense, highly effective.
The data set included in RISE - Demo Version:
- 1,815 unique people
- 8,497 conversations/assessments over the campaign, which has spanned 20 months so far
- 1,053 structure test records
- 94 records for leaders serving on committees or in leadership roles
- 518 records for members who committed to and/or attended events
- 4,039 unique class records that comprise a Spring 2026 course schedule at Fictional University
The data tells a story. Explore RISE to see what you can find!