|
« AAUP Homepage
|
Ernst Benjamin Becomes Interim General Secretary
By Gwendolyn Bradley
On July 1, 2007, Ernst Benjamin started an appointment as interim general secretary of the AAUP. Former general secretary Roger Bowen resigned from that position at the conclusion of his contract on June 30. Benjamin, who served as AAUP general secretary from 1984–94, has been managing the operations of the national office for several months while Bowen focused on raising funds and increasing the Association's profile, two key goals under the Association's strategic plan. Benjamin's AAUP appointments since 1994 have included service as director of research (1995–2001) and as senior consultant (2001–06).
Before joining the AAUP staff in 1984, Benjamin was a faculty member at Wayne State University for two decades. A member of the AAUP since 1972, Benjamin was active in the Wayne State chapter as a member of the executive committee, chief negotiator, and president. Nationally, he served as chair of the Collective Bargaining Congress and was a member of the AAUP Council and its Executive Committee.
Benjamin has published extensively on higher education issues, including academic freedom and tenure, collective bargaining, funding, faculty retirement, and contingent appointments. His most recent book is Academic Collective Bargaining, coedited with Michael Mauer, the AAUP's director of organizing and services.
"We are delighted to have Ernie on board. He is deeply devoted to the organization and thoroughly knowledgeable about both its guiding principles and its finances," says Cary Nelson, AAUP president.
|