New AAUP Chapter at UVA

The recent crisis at the University of Virginia (UVA) regarding governance was the impetus for the reactivation of a dormant local chapter of the AAUP.  The chapter has adopted by-laws, elected officers, and received a charter from the national office, which recently sent an investigative team to UVA in the wake of the events of summer 2012. A report from the AAUP on governance at UVA is pending.

On Friday, February 15, an executive committee of the UVA chapter met with UVA President Teresa Sullivan and Provost John Simon, in order to introduce the chapter and administration to each other and build a working relationship between them.   In a friendly and productive meeting, the group discussed academic freedom and the role of the faculty in shared governance: two issues that the AAUP has championed for decades, and that the chapter members presented as mutually reinforcing. 

The UVA chapter offered to work with the Administration and the Faculty Senate in revising the Faculty Handbook, which governs faculty policies at UVA. The chapter also agreed to provide the president and provost with an annual report on the state of shared governance and academic freedom at UVA.  The chapter is reviewing results from a recent Senate survey of faculty satisfaction at UVA and will provide feedback about key issues in that report concerning shared governance and academic freedom. The AAUP committee proposed the need for a statement from UVA’s administration re-establishing faculty members’ right to free speech in academic matters.  The group agreed to review a statement on this topic, to be drafted by the chapter in accordance with AAUP guidelines.

On Friday, February 15, an executive committee of the UVA chapter met with UVA President Teresa Sullivan and Provost John Simon, in order to introduce the chapter and administration to each other and build a working relationship between them.   In a friendly and productive meeting, the group discussed academic freedom and the role of the faculty in shared governance: two issues that the AAUP has championed for decades, and that the chapter members presented as mutually reinforcing. 

The UVA chapter offered to work with the Administration and the Faculty Senate in revising the Faculty Handbook, which governs faculty policies at UVA. The chapter also agreed to provide the president and provost with an annual report on the state of shared governance and academic freedom at UVA.  The chapter is reviewing results from a recent Senate survey of faculty satisfaction at UVA and will provide feedback about key issues in that report concerning shared governance and academic freedom. The AAUP committee proposed the need for a statement from UVA’s administration re-establishing faculty members’ right to free speech in academic matters.  The group agreed to review a statement on this topic, to be drafted by the chapter in accordance with AAUP guidelines.