2022 Biennial Association Meeting

The Biennial Association Meeting is the formal business meeting of the AAUP. Under the AAUP Constitution, it is held in even-numbered years except when prevented by war or national emergency. The meeting is attended by delegates elected by chapters and sections. AAUP members who are not delegates may attend the meeting but do not have a vote or a formal role in the meeting. The purposes of the meeting are established by the AAUP Constitution and include electing AAUP officers and Council members, voting on amendments to the Constitution, expressing the AAUP’s views on professional matters, voting on proposals and resolutions, and acting on recommendations presented to it by Council. In the election of Council members, each credentialed chapter or section delegate will cast a  weight determined by dividing the number of members in the delegate’s chapter or section by the number of credentialed delegates from that chapter or section. (If that division yields a remainder, it will be distributed to the delegates in the order in which they were listed on the chapter or section’s delegate form.) On other matters, each credentialed delegate will cast a vote of equal weight unless one-fifth of the delegates present request that the vote be weighted as they are in elections. Note that the AAUP conference sessions, luncheons, and other activities are not considered part of the formal Biennial Association Meeting. (Information on the conference and other activities is here.)

Anticipated Matters and Actions at the 2022 Biennial Meeting

Here are some of the matters that will be before the 2022 Biennial Association Meeting. Other matters may be considered by the meeting under the AAUP Constitution and meeting rules. 

Council Member Elections. There will be an election for one at-large Council position and five regional Council positions. The presentation of candidates and candidate speeches will occur in session I. The elections will be held by secret ballot of all the credentialed delegates, in a weighted vote, in session II. Each delegate will be eligible to vote for all six Council positions. (More information on the election and the 2022 Council candidates is here.)

AAUP/AFT Affiliation. There will be a vote on the recommendation from Council that the Biennial Association Meeting ratify the action of the Council that the American Association of University Professors affiliate with the American Federation of Teachers, AFL-CIO. (More information on the proposed affiliation is here.)

Proposals and Resolutions. Proposals and resolutions must normally be submitted in advance of the meeting and are brought to the meeting by the Resolutions Committee. (Information on submitting proposals and resolutions is here.) 

Delegate Credentialing

In order to participate in the biennial meeting all delegates must be registered, using the appropriate chapter or section delegate form, by their chapter or section by May 16, 2022; must be AAUP members in good standing; and must receive their individual delegate credentials at the delegate credentialing check-in desk.

June 17, 2022 9:00 a.m.–11:00 a.m. (for all meeting sessions); 11:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. (for meeting sessions II and III). 

There will be no delegate credentialing on June 18. 

Biennial Meeting Sessions

Plenary Session I: June 17,  2:00 p.m.—5:00 p.m.*

Plenary Session II: June 18, 9:00 a.m.—12:00 p.m. 

Plenary Session III: June 18, 2:00 p.m.—5.00 p.m.*

5:00 p.m. Adjourn

FAQs

Who can participate in and vote at the biennial meeting?

Under the AAUP Constitution, “All members of the Association shall be entitled to attend a meeting of the Association, but only accredited delegates from chapters in good standing or sections of chapters in good standing are entitled to participate in elections and to a voice and vote on matters brought before the meeting.” Article VI, Section 5. “Accredited delegates” are those delegates who have successfully completed the delegate credentialing process. 

What is a section?

A section is a group of smaller chapters within a state who have formally joined together to select delegates to represent all their members. The 2022 deadline for section formation has already closed. A list of sections and their chapters for the 2022 meeting is here. (More information about sections is here.)   

Is there a difference between chapter and section delegates?

The only differences between chapter and section delegates are the manner in which the delegates are elected and whom they represent. Chapter delegates are elected by one chapter to represent that chapter and its members; section delegates are elected by the members of the chapters in that section to represent those chapters and their members. (More information on the election of chapter and section delegates is here.) A chapter that has joined a section is not eligible to send chapter delegates. Once elected, chapter and section delegates have the same rights and privileges and are subject to the same rules. Therefore, the term “delegate” is used to apply to both types of delegates. 

How are delegates selected?

Delegates must be AAUP members elected by secret ballot of the members of the chapter or of the section they represent. However, an election need not be held if there is only one nominee per delegate position. Chapter officers elected to their offices by secret ballot may serve as chapter (but not section) delegates by virtue of that election if authorized by the chapter. (More information on the election of chapter or section delegates is here.)

Once a chapter or section has selected its delegates, how does it register them?

Each chapter or section must register its delegates with the AAUP by completing and submitting a chapter or section delegate form no later than May 16, 2022. Chapter delegate forms must be signed by the chapter president or secretary; section delegate forms must be signed by the section coordinator.  Note that if a chapter or section registers multiple delegates, those listed earlier on the delegate form might be apportioned a greater number of votes under the weighted voting procedures described below.

Prior to going to the check-in desk, the delegate needs to have been registered by the chapter or section (by May 16, 2022), and this registration needs to have been accepted by the AAUP. (More information on delegate registration is here.)

I’m a registered delegate. What should I do before the Biennial Association Meeting? 

We encourage you to attend the optional AAUP’s May 5, 2022, webinar on delegate registration and credentialing. We also encourage you to attend the in-person “Delegate Voting and Elections Process Questions and Answers” session at the meeting hotel on Thursday, June 16, from 4:30 to 6:30. You can also access information on the election and on the candidates, including their biographies, here. 

I’m a registered delegate. What will I do at the meeting?

You will need to check in and receive your delegate credentials in order to vote at the meeting. The AAUP Biennial Meeting Delegates Credential Check-In Desk will be open in the hotel lobby from 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Friday, June 17. Delegates must check in by 11:00 a.m. to receive their credentials in time for session I. At the check-in desk, the delegate will present identification and sign a form acknowledging receipt of their delegate credentials. Delegates must check in and receive their credentials in person; no one else may receive a delegate’s credentials on their behalf. Note: Delegate check-in is a separate process from on-site registration for the meeting and conference.

What types of votes are there at the biennial meeting? What is a weighted vote?

There are two different categories of votes at the biennial meeting: 1) unweighted and weighted; and 2) secret ballot and public vote. Delegates generally cast unweighted votes, in which each credentialed delegate is apportioned one vote. There are also “weighted votes.” In a weighted vote, the delegate(s) for a chapter or section cast the number of votes equal to the number of AAUP members of the chapter or section in good standing as of April 1. (If the chapter or section has more than one credentialed delegate, the votes are apportioned as described below.) Weighted votes can be taken on request of one-fifth of the delegates present and voting at the meeting and are used for officer and Council elections.

In addition, there can be secret ballot votes, whether weighted or unweighted. Secret ballot votes are required under the AAUP Constitution for the election of officers and Council members and for any vote setting dues or establishing a dues formula.

In a weighted vote, how do you determine the “weight” of each delegate’s ballot?

In elections and other weighted votes, each accredited chapter or section delegate will cast a ballot with a weight determined by dividing the number of members in the delegate’s chapter or section by the number of delegates who have been credentialed for the meeting from that chapter or section. (If there are remaining votes, they will be distributed to the first credentialed delegate listed on the chapter or section’s delegate form.)

My chapter (or section) has more than 250 members, so we are eligible to send more than one delegate. Are we required to register the full number of delegates we are entitled to?

No. In order for its members to be represented at the meeting, your chapter or section must have at least one credentialed delegate in attendance. However, the formula for weighted votes distributes the votes of your chapter or section’s membership across the number of delegates who actually check in and receive their credentials at the meeting. 

If a chapter or section registers more delegates than attend the meeting, will it lose votes in a weighted vote?

No. Votes of a chapter or section are only apportioned to delegates who complete the credentialing process. Therefore, if a chapter registers delegates who do not complete credentialing, no votes will be apportioned to those delegates. For example, if a chapter or section registers five delegates and two alternates, but only two delegates and one alternate attend the meeting and are credentialed, then all chapter or section votes are apportioned between those three accredited delegates. However, once a delegate is credentialed, if the delegate fails to attend a meeting session or fails to vote, the votes apportioned to that delegate are lost.

Can one delegate cast all the votes of a chapter or section?

Yes. If only one chapter or section delegate completes the credentialing process, then that delegate will cast all of the votes attributed to the chapter or section.

Can one delegate cast the votes of another delegate? Is there any proxy voting?

No. Delegates must vote in person at the meeting. If a delegate who has received their credentials does not cast a ballot, the votes apportioned to that delegate are lost. 

In a weighted vote, can a delegate split the votes they have been apportioned?

No. A delegate may not divide their votes and may only vote for only one candidate for each Council or officer position. The full weight of their vote will count toward the candidate’s total and towards any other weighted vote. However, delegates from the same chapter or section can cast the weighted votes they each hold for different candidates.

Can the 2022 Biennial Association Meeting be held remotely? 

Not under the current conditions. Under the AAUP Constitution the biennial meeting must be held in person “except when prevented by war or other national emergency.” In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic constituted a national emergency that prevented holding the meeting in person: hotels were closed, air and ground transportation was limited, and colleges and universities were operating remotely. This reality was recognized by the US Department of Labor, which monitors union meetings. While there are still threats from COVID-19, the impact is now different: flights and other forms of transportation are operating on normal schedules, hotels and businesses are open, and colleges and universities are open for in-person instruction. Other unions and organizations are also holding their national conventions in person. Thus, after consulting with our lawyers, we have concluded that there is not currently a national emergency that would prevent an in-person meeting.

What type of COVID-19 precautions will be in effect at the meeting?

We will be following requirements and recommendations of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and federal, state, and local health authorities. For more information, see our COVID-19 safety protocols.