Updated July 7, 2024.

I’d like to invite you to join us in AAUP to advocate for academic freedom and against legislative interference. Here’s a link to join and here are several reasons to consider joining.  Dues are on a sliding scale and membership is confidential.

The American Association of University Professors (AAUP) champions academic freedom, advances shared governance, and organizes all faculty to promote economic security and quality education.  AAUP members also include researchers, graduate students, academic advisors, and other professional staff who need academic freedom to do their work. In Texas, AAUP members are on 75 campus and have started 28 campus chapters.

We’ve caught glimpses of the many attacks on academic freedom and shared governance to come in the next Legislative session at the Texas Senate hearing on May 14 and from legislative priorities already released.  Like we did last Legislative session, Texas AAUP will mobilize its members to work with the Texas American Federation of Teachers (AFT) and other advocacy orgs to have a daily ground game.  We’re using this summer to organize.  Follow us on X @TexasAaup and @aaup_utAustin for daily updates.

A particularly exciting development is that Texas AAUP voted on March 30, 2024, in favor of affiliating with Texas AFT to amplify advocacy and benefits for Texas AAUP members:

• Amplified advocacy with the 66,000 members and 50 dedicated full-time staff of Texas AFT will help us be more ready for the next legislative session.  Texas AFT hosted a legislative testimony training on May 13, 2024. Many more to come.
• Amplified benefits include $8M occupational liability coverage, legal aid for civil lawsuits, legal defense for employment matters, and advocates to help faculty in administrative meetings, investigations, and grievances.  More info.

Our Texas AAUP affiliation with Texas AFT is a natural follow-up to the National AAUP affiliation with National AFT on August 1, 2022.  National AFT has 1.7M members including 300,00 faculty, staff and students, and is part of the AFL-CIO with 12M members.

For more information, please see our reasons to join AAUP. Feel free to email me with any questions or concerns.

Brian L. Evans, PhD | He/His/Him | aaup.texas@gmail.com
President, Texas AAUP-AFT Conference