An independent arbitrator ordered Portland State University to reinstate 10 nontenure-track faculty members laid off in June and to provide back pay, finding the university violated the collective-bargaining agreement. The university’s legal counsel told the faculty union it will not comply with reinstatement, arguing the arbitrator exceeded agreed authority by ordering reappointments. The union says the award is a routine remedy to make affected employees whole and is preparing to press the issue through labor channels, including the state employment-relations board if necessary. Portland State has indicated it may seek alternative dispute-resolution steps rather than immediate reinstatement. Labor relations teams, faculty governance bodies and legal counsel at peer institutions will watch the case for precedent on the scope of arbitration remedies in layoffs and the interplay between contractual arbitration clauses and university operational decisions.