AAUP@UT

We champion academic freedom, advance shared governance, and organize faculty and staff to promote economic security and quality education.

Contact: Chapter President Karma Chavez aaup.utaustin@gmail.com

AAUP at UT Austin Expresses Concerns about UT’s “Statement on Academic Integrity”, Nov. 11, 2025

AAUP at UT Austin Stands in Solidarity with Faculty in the Texas A&M System, Nov. 11, 2025

AAUP Chapter at UT Austin Responses to the Trump Compact

• AAUP Chapter at UT Austin Statement on the Trump Administration “Compact”, Oct. 14, 2025
• AAUP Chapter at UT Austin Resolution on the Trump Administration “Compact”, Oct. 14, 2025
• Trump Administration, Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education, Oct. 1, 2025

National Petitions Against the Trump Compacts

• University Administrations: Reject Trump’s “Loyalty Oath” Compacts, by Student, Staff, and Faculty organizations including Higher Ed Labor United.  Anyone can sign.
• To: University Presidents and Trustees: STAND WITH YOUR SCHOOL: Federal government attacks 9 universities. Sign the alumni petition now.  Anyone can sign.

Texas AAUP-AFT Response to Degree Audits and New State Laws

• Faculty Rights: Standing Against Censorship, Sept. 25, 2025. Here’s more info about your faculty rights in the UT System
• Upholding Faculty Rights to Academic Freedom and Due Process, an open letter to college and university administrators, Sept. 22, 2025
• Higher Ed Laws from the 2025 Texas Legislature, Aug. 4, 2025

AAUP Chapter at UT Austin 2025

• Advocacy: AAUP at UT Austin Expresses Concerns about UT’s “Statement on Academic Integrity”, Nov. 3, 2025
• Teach-In: Learn about Trump’s Proposed Compact with UT and What We Can All Do About It, Friday, Oct. 10, 2025, 4-6pm, University Methodist Church, 2409 Guadalupe, Austin, TX. Flier.
• Advocacy: “Authoritarian Shift at UT Austin: AAUP Chapter Condemns Faculty Governance Overhaul“, Sept. 27, 2025
• Advocacy: “AAUP Executive Committee Letter to UT Austin Interim President Jim Davis,” concerning lack of a consultative committee for a national search for the new Provost hire, June 2, 2025.
• Advocacy: “Letter from AAUP Chapter at UT Austin: Revocation of International Student Visas“, March 9, 2025.
• Advocacy: “Statement on President Jay Hartzell’s Resignation“, Jan. 7, 2025.
• AAUP Principles in UT Policies: Curriculum – Academic freedom
• Meetings: Fall 24 – Fall 23 – Spr 23 – Fall 22 – Spr 22 – Fall 21
• Officers: 2025-27 and By-Laws

AAUP Chapter at UT Austin 2024 Highlights

• Chapter Meeting: Agenda, slides & highlights, Dec. 11, 2024.
• Testified at Texas Senate hearing on faculty senates and curriculum, Nov. 11, 2024.
• Join the AAUP Chapter at UT Austin Handout, Oct. 13, 2024
• Message to President Jay Hartzell About Not Following Due Process in Non-Renewal of Dean Stevens, Oct. 11, 2024
• Testified at Texas Senate hearing on implementation of anti-DEI SB 17 and Governor’s Order on antisemitism & free speech, May 14, 2024.
• UT Faculty have No Confidence in President Hartzell due to mass firings and militarized response to campus protests, Apr. 25, 2024.
• Response to mass firings of staff, faculty, administrators, Apr. 2, 2024.
• Academic freedom presentation to Dean’s Council, Mar. 2, 2024.

Slides & Fliers

All AAUP members affiliated with UT Austin are automatically members of AAUP@UT. If you are affiliated with UT Austin and would like to join the AAUP@UT mailing list, please email Brian Evans.

Our advocacy is amplified by teaming with Texas AAUP, AAUP, Texas AFT, AFT, Texas Council of Faculty Senates, Texas Faculty Association, Texas State Employees Union, Black Brown Dialogues on Policy, Texas Students for DEI, NAACP Legal Defense Fund, Pen America, Texas NAACP, Every Texan, ACLU Texas, and other orgs. AAUP is affiliated with the American Federation of Teachers, and Texas AAUP is affiliated with Texas AFT.

Jim Klein, President of the Texas Association of College Teachers, led eight faculty and three staffers to visit the Texas Senate on Dec. 2nd. They visited the staffers for the Senate Committees on Higher Education, Finance, and Health & Human Services as well as Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick’s office. The talking points were

• Academic Freedom and Tenure Ensures World Class Teaching
• Campus Safety and Building Repair due to Age & Storm Damage
• Higher Education Funding for Faculty, Staff and Research

The faculty were also members of the Texas AAUP Conference, Texas American Federation of Teachers, and Texas Faculty Association, and represented themselves as individuals. Brian Evans provided “A Pledge to Support Higher Education in Texas” by the Texas AAUP Conference to the Legislative staffers.

On December 6th, AAUP@UT applied for official recognition as an AAUP Chapter. Per AAUP guidelines, all AAUP members affiliated with UT Austin voted on a slate of officers and by-laws. Vote was unanimous in favor. Next, the AAUP will verify that the conditions for a new chapter have been met and finally, the national AAUP Council will vote to approve the request.

The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center launched an AAUP Chapter in November, thereby becoming the only UT component institution with an active AAUP Chapter. This follows several tumultuous years between the administration and faculty, which are still sadly on-going. See the April 2015 AAUP Investigative Report concerning deviations from AAUP principles on tenure and shared governance in dismissal of three faculty members by the UT MD Anderson administration and the resulting AAUP Censure of UT MD Anderson which remains in force.

Underpaid@UT delivered graduate student worker demands on Dec. 13th, to UT Austin Provost Sharon Wood. News story. Underpaid@UT is a movement of UT Austin graduate student workers fighting for a living wage and just working conditions, in solidarity with underpaid workers @UTAustin and beyond, supported by the Texas State Employees Union.

Texas Senator José Menéndez hosted a Higher Education Panel on December 3, 2022, by Zoom, as part of the 2022 Latino Summit, with panelists

• Jaime Puente, Director of Economic Opportunity Every Texan
• Paige Duggins-Clay, J.D., Chief Legal Analyst, Intercultural Development Research Association
• Ray Martinez III, J.D., President and CEO, Texas Association of Community Colleges

Notes available.

Congrats to the inaugural Executive Committee members for the UT Austin AAUP Chapter unanimously elected by the AAUP members on campus!

• President — Brian Evans — Email
• Vice President — Andrea Gore — Email
• Secretary — Bill Fagelson
• Treasurer — Jen Ebbeler
• At-Large Position — Polly Strong
• At-Large Position — Karma Chavez

Judge Mark Walker issued a preliminary injunction on Nov. 17, 2022, against Florida HB7 (“Stop W.O.K.E. Act”) in Pernell vs. Florida Board of Governors. Judge Walker writes “the First Amendment does not permit the State of Florida to muzzle its university professors, impose its own orthodoxy of viewpoints, and cast us all into the dark.” (page 135) Several faculty members and one student filed the lawsuit in US federal court. Steve Vladeck, JD, summarized this case at our Oct. 31, 2022, meeting.

The AAUP Organizing Committee approved our by-laws and the AAUP Chapter at UT Austin officially launched on March 6, 2023!

UT Austin AAUP Chapter by-laws presented at the Sept. 27, 2021, AAUP@UT meeting and revised April 2, 2022, after feedback from AAUP.

The by-laws were approved unanimously by the AAUP members affiliated with UT Austin on December 5, 2022.

We have submitted the by-laws to AAUP for approval.

AAUP is requesting that we change “students” to “graduate students” under the list of those who can become chapter members. Chapter members have voting privileges. Undergraduate students are welcome to attend meetings. We’ve added a title to the document and dated the effective date of the ratification of the by-laws to be December 5, 2022. Here’s the updated version which AAUP approved:

Professor Suzanne Jones won her lawsuit against Collin College that had fired her for exercising her free speech and academic freedom.  Prof. Jones has been reinstated at Collin College, which is a public community college district in the Dallas, Texas, area.  A key finding by the court is that the President and Provost responsible for the illegal firing could be held personally and professionally accountable because they knowingly violated Prof. Jones’ Civil Rights.

VICTORY: Lawsuit ends with Collin College professor reinstated after being fired for union advocacy, supporting removal of Confederate monuments

AAUP@UT enthusiasts met on Oct 31, 2022, and heard talks by

• Irvin Osborne-Lee (Prairie View A&M) on synergy between AAUP Chapter, Faculty Senate and President Ruth Simmons
• Steve Vladeck (UT Austin) on the Pernell case with enormous potential ramifications for all public universities in the United States esp. those in states that might try to pass laws like Florida’s “Stop W.O.K.E. Act.”
• Patty Quinzi (Texas American Federation of Teachers) on synergy between Texas AFT and Texas AAUP on higher ed issues

AAUP@UT Action Items
Vote.  Candidate statements vote411.org.  More at votetexas.gov & vote.org. 
Support Texas AAUP campaign and Texas AFT campaign for education
Join AAUP or renew AAUP membership (via membership portal).
Plan campus events for professional faculty and instructors of flag courses.
Read 2022 Interim Charges for Texas Senate on Higher Ed pp. 12-13.
Join Legislative Days, State Capitol, TACT Dec 2 & Texas AFT Mar 13 

Texas AFT will be tracking higher ed bills in the State Legislature related to tenure, academic freedom, post-tenure review, faculty senates, guns on campus, and cost-of-living increases for the Teachers’ Retirement System.  With 66,000 members, Texas AFT has significant resources to bear.

Detailed notes summarizing the AAUP@UT meeting are available: