June 23, 2014
Contact: Brian Turner, chair of the AAUP Government Relations Committee
Steve Finner, United Academics-UVM
Washington, D.C. ─ Representative Peter Welch of Vermont was chosen as the recipient of the American Association of University Professors' 2014 Henry T. Yost Congressional Recognition Award, given annually to a member of Congress who has championed the causes of higher education. He was nominated for the award by the Executive Committee of United Academics (AAUP/AFT), the union representing 850 full- and part-time faculty members at the University of Vermont.
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A delegation of AAUP members present Congressman Peter Welch (VT) with the Henry T. Yost Congressional Recognition Award. For more photos, visit our Flickr page. |
The award was presented on Thursday, June 12 at 9:30 a.m. in the Congressman’s office, 2303 Rayburn House Office Building, by Professor Brian Turner of Randolph-Macon College, chair of the AAUP Government Relations Committee. Also present were Professor Denise Youngblood, president of the United Academics, and AAUP Executive Committee member Professor Charles Baker of the College of the Holy Cross Representative, from which Congressman Welch is a magna cum laude graduate. As Professor Turner noted, " Today we honor Representative Welch’s ongoing efforts to expand educational opportunities for underserved students, his commitment to lowering student debt, and his support of public sector higher education, all of the values articulated by Tom Yost during his years of service to the AAUP."
A video of the award presentation was shown at an afternoon reception for the AAUP’s Capitol Hill Day, attended by college and university faculty members from across the country who had spent the day talking with their legislators about key issues facing higher education.
"Going back to his days in the state senate and serving as President Pro Tem, Congressman Welch has been a strong supporter of public sector higher education. His concern and efforts to deal with high student debt has focused the attention of Congressional Republicans as well as Democrats on this national problem," Denise Youngblood commented.
Upon receiving the award, Congressman Welch responded "I am especially honored that the American Association of University Professors has chosen me to receive the Thomas Yost Award on the eve of its 100th anniversary"
To see pictures of the event visit our Flickr page at https://www.flickr.com/photos/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, promote the economic security of those who teach and research in 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 is a nonprofit professional association headquartered in Washington, DC.
