2019 AAUP Updates

The AAUP, together with forty-three educational associations, signed onto an amicus brief prepared by the American Council on Education to the US Supreme Court in support of upholding the DACA program.

The AAUP has filed an amicus brief in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in support of Jennifer Freyd, who sued the University of Oregon for pay discrimination based on significant pay disparities with male faculty members.

Multiple organizations have joined the AAUP's statement urging the Department of Education to step away from its dangerous path of political intrusion into curricular decisions best made by faculty.  

Statement from Henry Reichman, Chair, Committee A on Academic Freedom and Tenure on the US Department of Education's letter ordering the Duke–UNC Consortium for Middle East Studies to revise its offerings

In August, Kirkwood Community College in Iowa forced the resignation of Jeff Klinzman, an adjunct instructor of 24 years, because of social media posts (some dating to 2012) that supported antifascism and were critical of the president of the United States.

Emory University is seeking to fire Paul Zwier, a tenured faculty member, for reportedly using the n-word on two occasions while teaching a class. On July 10 the AAUP sent a case letter Emory University's provost, writing that the faculty member's speech is protected under principles of academic freedom, and urging the university to cease its dismissal action against Zwier.

In response to reports that the FBI has advised some US universities to develop protocols for monitoring students and scholars from Chinese state-affiliated research institutions. the AAUP and eighteen other organizations have issued a statement concerning how this monitoring may violate academic freedom. 

The AAUP joined the American Council on Education and 32 other higher education groups in support of the College Student Hunger Act of 2019.