AAUP Updates

The AAUP is thrilled to announce the appointment of Veena Dubal, professor of law at the University of California, Irvine, School of Law, as the Association’s next general counsel. Professor Dubal’s research focuses broadly on law, technology, and precarious workers, combining legal and empirical analysis to explore issues of labor and inequality. Dubal will work closely with the AAUP’s legal staff to pursue AAUP activities, which include advising on higher education legal issues; preparing amicus briefs; monitoring legal developments in higher education around the country; and keeping the Association apprised of new and emerging legal issues that may have implications in areas such as academic freedom, labor and employment law, freedom of expression, and intellectual property rights.

The AAUP stands with Texas faculty associations in protesting the reported censorship of more than 200 courses at the University of North Texas. The reported removal of words such as “race,” “gender,” “class,” and “equity” from undergraduate and graduate course titles and descriptions appears to represent a troubling departure from widely accepted standards of academic freedom and shared governance.

The AAUP is committed to defending our campuses and the mission of higher education through organizing our communities to face the challenges that lie ahead. Our collective power is needed now more than ever. To that end, we will do everything in our power to protect our institutions, faculty, staff, and students and stand up against those seeking to violate academic freedom and the core principle of higher education conducted for the common good.

After years of cuts to academic budgets at the state’s flagship, the University of Connecticut, dozens of majors and scores of graduate programs are now on the chopping block. According to news reports, majors including philosophy; women’s, gender, and sexuality studies; and animal science could be discontinued, as could all but one program within the university’s Literatures, Cultures, and Languages Department. And this is just the beginning in what could be a series of cuts unless the Connecticut legislature provides a stable funding source for the state’s system of higher education. Without adequate funding, Connecticut students will face larger class sizes, higher tuition , and fewer class offerings. They deserve better.

As Professor Steven Thrasher faces potential discipline for exercising his academic freedom, the AAUP urges Northwestern University to remain committed to academic due process and academic freedom as well as anti-discrimination regulations designed to protect historically marginalized communities.

Thrasher, holder of the Daniel Renberg chair in the Medill School of Journalism, is a nationally recognized, decorated journalist and scholar of race, LGBTQIA identity, and infectious disease. Despite his exemplary research and teaching record, Thrasher has been summarily placed on leave and suspended from teaching while an ad hoc faculty committee has reportedly been assembled to investigate whether he should be sanctioned for alleged antisemitism and “lack of objectivity.” These charges stem from attempts by Thrasher and several colleagues to de-escalate tensions at Northwestern’s Gaza Solidarity Encampment in April by forming a human chain between students and police officers.

AAUP in the News

Thu, 12/05/2024  |  Connecticut Post

"They think there are too many teachers," said CSU-AAUP president Louise Williams. "We know, if you are a teacher in the system, that we are already overworked and stressed out. You need more teachers, not less teachers in order to really serve our students well."

Thu, 12/05/2024  |  Truthout

"This is not a moment to shrink or back off. It’s a moment to grow and build power," said Todd Wolfson, AAUP president. "We in the AAUP are ready to fight for what we need — fully funded higher education, an end to student debt, and respect for every worker on every campus. This is just one moment in a long struggle. The AAUP is here to remind people that higher ed is the bedrock of democracy."

Tue, 11/19/2024  |  Texas Tribune

“Regardless of their intent, the UNT administration conducted a campaign of censorship of content in more than 200 courses,” said Brian Evans, president of the Texas Conference of the American Association of University Professors. “It’s censoring what topics students can discuss and think critically about. In order for students to have the freedom to learn, faculty need to have the freedom to teach.”

Mon, 11/04/2024  |  Daily Pennsylvanian

“The unilateral and secretive decision-making that produced these policies is indicative of Penn’s unaccountable system of governance,” the Penn chapter of the AAUP said. “It underscores the need for faculty, staff, and students to work together to create legitimate, transparent, and democratic forms of decision-making. Those of us now subject to these rules had no part in creating them.”

Wed, 10/30/2024  |  Inside Higher Ed

“I decided to run for president of AAUP because I felt like we need to be able to respond to this,” Wolfson said. “We need to be able to fight back. There may have been a time when it was OK for us to pretend like we were in the ivory tower and the outside world didn’t matter. This is not that time; 2024 is not that time.”

Tue, 10/22/2024  |  Associated Press

“We have to, as faculty, organize and demand the sort of shared governance that gives us a right to review and challenge these policies,” said Todd Wolfson, a journalism and media studies professor at Rutgers University and the president of the American Association of University Professors. “They’re not made by people coming out of the academic arm of our institutions.”

Upcoming Events

December 12, 2024

As we continue to organize and build power together with our colleagues to fight back against efforts to end higher education as a common good, we want to hear from all AAUP members about your top concerns, threats you see on your campuses and in your states, and your thoughts on strategy.

February 5, 2025

Part of the webinar series "Academic Freedom School: Defending Academic Freedom in Florida."

May 30, 2025 to May 31, 2025

A meeting of the AAUP's Committee A on Academic Freedom and Tenure. 

E-mail Updates

 

Announcements

For its 2025 volume, the AAUP’s Journal of Academic Freedom invites submissions of scholarly articles that address the impact of large private donations on academic freedom and the educational mission of colleges and universities. Submissions are due by March 5, 2025.

See open positions and learn how to apply.