The AAUP government relations staff monitors state legislation pertaining to higher education with the help of legislative search engines, media outlets, and communication from members. Policy matters of interest are highlighted each month in the government relations newsletter. Some examples of recent state issues are listed below.
AAUP Condemns Missouri Bill
The Missouri House of Representatives passed a bill (H 213) which ostensibly “ensure[s] intellectual diversity and the free exchange of ideas." The AAUP opposes this bill because it threatens to impose legislative oversight on the professional judgment of faculty and to deprive academic institutions of their authority from making decisions that are central to their academic purpose. Learn more. (4/17)
AAUP Letter to the Missouri Senate (4/24)
AAUP Statement on the Passage of the Michigan Civil Rights Initiative
On Tuesday, November 7, Michigan voters approved Proposal Two to amend the state constitution. The measure was also referred to as the “Michigan Civil Rights Initiative.” The Government Relations Committee of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) is troubled by the outcome of this referendum. The national AAUP, along with the Michigan AAUP state conference, joined many in the state—including both the Democratic and Republican candidates for governor and the Michigan Civil Rights Commission—in opposing the measure, at least partly due to concerns that the overly broad wording could lead to unintended and damaging consequences for higher education. Learn more. (11/28)
Academic Bill of Rights
In the U.S., neither teachers nor students are responsible to the government for the content of their teaching or learning.
But between 2004 and 2006, many state legislatures considered legislative proposals challenged the fundamental concept that higher education in the U.S. is and should be free of government control or interference. None of the 14 states approved the so-called "Academic Bill of Rights," which would involve the state and/or federal government in oversight of curricula and teaching, and faculty hiring and promotion in both public and private institutions of higher education. Colorado and Ohio legislatures worked out agreements with public colleges and universities to ensure that students were aware of their rights and existing grievance processes. Pennsylvania decided to study the notion further, coming to the conclusion after several public hearings that there is no problem in the Pennsylvania university system that warrants legislation. The Higher Education Act now before the U.S. Congress includes language drawn from the Academic Bill of Rights. Learn more about the Academic Bill of Rights and state legislation.
Ensuring the Nation's Future: Preserving the Promise of Higher Education (2005)(.pdf)
(updated 2/13/07)