A week of action to demonstrate the importance of not-for-profit higher education
October 1-7, 2010
The first week of October is shaping up as an opportunity for AAUP chapters and state conferences to participate in a national discussion on the role of higher education in our economy and society, and to stimulate organizing at the campus level to communicate importance of academic freedom and an independent faculty voice. We encourage our members and chapters to organize and participate in local activities from teach-ins to policy forums to film screenings, and to utilize these events to build membership in conjunction with the AAUP fall membership drive. Please let us know about your local events and endorsements by sending an e-mail to our government relations office.
National Events
Saturday, October 2
One Nation Working Together: March on Washington.
The One Nation March will feature a coalition of human and civil rights, labor, environmental, peace, and faith groups, as well as celebrities and sports figures united by the ideal that all people – regardless of race, class, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, heritage or ability – should have the opportunity to fulfill their potential. The main themes of the march are: “Putting America Back to Work”; “Quality and Affordable Public Education”; and “Equality for All.”
Thursday, October 7
National Day of Action to Defend Public Education.
Privatization in higher education has shifted the cost burden to students and their families, while at the same time diverting spending from instruction to administrative overhead. The most dramatic shift has been in the increasing use of poorly-paid and insufficiently supported part-time and non-tenure-track faculty members. See the statement from AAUP General Secretary Gary Rhoades.
October 1-7
Ethnic Studies Week.
In the wake of a ban on the teaching of ethnic studies in Arizona public schools, ongoing national debates on religious tolerance and immigration, and the disappearance of foreign language instruction as colleges and universities cut “unproductive” academic programs, a group of scholars and activists have responded by organizing a week of events celebrating cultural and intellectual diversity.