About the AAUP

The mission of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) is to advance academic freedom and shared governance, to define fundamental professional values and standards for higher education, and to ensure higher education's contribution to the common good. Founded in 1915, the AAUP has helped to shape American higher education by developing the standards and procedures that maintain quality in education and academic freedom in this country's colleges and universities.

The AAUP has reorganized into three interlocked entities under one AAUP umbrella: the AAUP (a professional association), the AAUP-CBC (a labor union), and the AAUP Foundation (a foundation).

A list of AAUP state-level organizations.

A list of AAUP chapter websites, both unionized and nonunionized.  (You can also see a list of just union chapters on the AAUP-CBC website.) 

The leaders of the Association are drawn from colleges and universities throughout the country. Find out about chapter, state conference, and national leaders.

Staff directory and contact information.

AAUP standing committees work on a variety of topics of importance to higher education and to faculty. The president of the Association serves as an ex officio member of all committees. In addition to topical standing committees, the AAUP has a number of leadership committees:

In 1900 when noted economist Edward Ross lost his job at Stanford University because Mrs. Leland Stanford didn't like his views on immigrant labor and railroad monopolies, other professors were watching. The incident stuck in the mind of Arthur O. Lovejoy, philosopher at Johns Hopkins. When he and John Dewey organized a meeting in 1915 to form an organization to ensure academic freedom for faculty members, the AAUP was born. "Academic freedom" was a new idea then.

AAUP honors individuals, chapters and conferences. Learn more about how you can nominate someone for one of our awards.