It’s official. Eastern Michigan University and its faculty union have a new two-year contract.

The Board of Regents gave its blessing to the contract Tuesday afternoon. That was the last step toward ratifying the contract, which covers this school year and next.

The regents also approved a new master's degree in education for career changers who want to become teachers, and a regents committee got an update on National Collegiate Athletic Association recertification.

Regents made no comment on the contract before voting unanimously in favor of it at their meeting Tuesday afternoon. The union had approved the contract earlier this month.

The contract gives the professors a 1 percent raise this year and a 2 percent raise next year.

The agreement was reached the same day the contract was set to expire. The union had already called a general meeting of its membership for that day at noon to take a strike vote. But an agreement was reached before that meeting.

The negotiations up to that point had been contentious, especially as the two sides debated pay raises and how much faculty members would have to pay for health benefits.

Standing before the regents Tuesday, union secretary Howard Bunsis said, “I think the word relived is how most of the faculty feel.” Bunsis also challenged members of the administration to make sure they are making all their decisions in light of what is best for their core academic mission and criticized them for the building of a new football practice bubble.

New degree

The regents approved a new master of arts in teaching program to provide professionals who already have a bachelor’s degree with a degree that leads to certification as a teacher.

The program will be aimed at teachers in the STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) content areas at first, officials said in a report to the regents.

NCAA recertification has begun

The university has begun the process of compiling the self-study report that is the kick-off to recertification by the NCAA, athletic department officials told a Board of Regents committee Tuesday afternoon.

This is the third time the university has gone through the process. The last time was in 2001-02.

After several EMU committees compile the report, a group of peer reviewers and NCAA staff will come to campus for a series of interviews and meetings before issuing their own report.

The process is expected to last until next school year.

David Jesse covers higher education for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at davidjesse@annarbor.com or at 734-623-2534.