AAUP Plans Reorganization

Robert A. Gorman (Law)
Chair, Presidential Task Force on Restructuring

The Association has, in recent decades, come increasingly to discharge its mission through a wide range of techniques, including its government relations program, collective bargaining by its chapters, litigation, research and reports on the state of the university faculty, and much more.

In 2004, the Council of the Association—its governing board—created a task force to determine whether the Association’s activities could be strengthened and expanded through a change in the Association’s structure.

For many years now, the Association has operated as what is known in the law as a “public charity” or charitable organization. It has pursued its diverse programs all under this one institutional roof. After a period of reflection and discussion, the task force has concluded that the AAUP can better achieve its mission if it evolves into three entities, each of a different character and with a different purpose, still linked under one AAUP roof.

The core of the three-part structure would be a “professional association,” looking in almost every respect as the AAUP does today. It would in fact bear the name “AAUP.” It would pursue all of the familiar and influential AAUP principles and policies. It would have as its members all individual faculty members who wish to join, whether they are in collective bargaining chapters or are in our more traditional or so-called advocacy chapters. These members would select the AAUP’s leaders, including its governing council. All AAUP staff would pursue their work for this professional association, and the many AAUP committees would be “located” there too. As now, the chapters and state conferences, and the important work of the Assembly of State Conferences, would be an integrated part of the new AAUP.

Why has the task force proposed this change in how the AAUP is structured? Because this would make it possible for the AAUP to pursue more vigorously its activities such as litigation and government relations, preparation of reports, sponsoring of conferences dealing with a wider array of professional issues, and offering of special benefits to its members.

The task force has recommended that the second component of the restructured Association be a “labor organization”—a union that would succeed to the activities of today’s Collective Bargaining Congress. Like the CBC, the newly created independent union—which would likely be named the AAUP-CBC—would be composed of all AAUP chapters that are engaged in collective bargaining. It would be committed to pursuing AAUP policies, and would support organizing campaigns, assist in negotiating collective bargaining agreements, and conduct training seminars, all to pursue that goal and to promote the interests of faculty. The AAUP-CBC would have a more independent voice, as a separate legal entity, on such matters as collective bargaining services, dues, and practices.

The third entity within the restructured Association would be a “charitable organization” as traditionally understood, the principal purpose of which would be to attract contributions to be used in support of much of the work of the AAUP professional association. This “AAUP foundation” would subscribe to AAUP principles and could be a vigorous and attractive magnet for new resources for AAUP programs. This would be assured through formal connections to the “AAUP” and the active involvement of prominent academic figures in the foundation’s fund-raising program.

The anticipated outcome of this new structure is a revitalization of the Association’s unique role in higher education. It will allow for the enlarging of the AAUP agenda and its roster of activities. It will attract additional resources through growth in membership and contributions. It will enhance our support for collective bargaining as a means of spreading AAUP policies.

The Council of the present AAUP has given its tentative approval to this tripartite recommendation. It has been communicated to and discussed with various AAUP constituencies and committees, and the effort is now being made to share it with the full membership, through the AAUP Web site and through conference and chapter newsletters and face-to-face meetings. The task force is actively formulating the necessary steps for implementation of restructuring, and the proposed structure will in due course be presented for approval to appropriate AAUP bodies.

The AAUP will provide more information on the progress of restructuring as it proceeds.

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