The American Association of University Professors (AAUP) is concerned with defending academic freedom, freedom of expression, shared governance, due process, and fairness. As such, the AAUP Chapter at UT Austin has serious concerns about two urgent matters related to UT students’ freedom of expression: 1) the restrictions the Associate Dean for Graduate Studies has placed on the functioning of the Graduate Student Assembly and 2) the Office of the Dean of Students’ (ODoS) decision to begin disciplinary proceedings against one undergraduate student affiliated with Students for a Democratic Society and one graduate student affiliated with the University of Texas Graduate Workers’ Union.
On October 15, the Associate Dean for Graduate Studies told David Spicer, president of the Graduate Student Assembly (GSA), that the GSA could not consider two proposed resolutions against Texas statutes SB 17 and SB 37. The Associate Dean for Graduate Studies claimed that both resolutions violated the University’s institutional neutrality policy. Then on November 2, the Associate Dean for Graduate Studies blocked three more resolutions proposed by the GSA on a range of campus matters, arguing that they were beyond the Assembly’s purview because they did not affect graduate students uniquely and directly. Both FIRE and the ACLU of Texas have criticized these attempts to restrict students’ free speech.
On November 7, undergraduate Daniel Ramírez and graduate student Áine McGehee Marley went to Provost William Inboden’s office with a group of students to demand a meeting about UT Austin’s plans regarding the federal government’s “Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education.” The students were refused a meeting with the Provost and when asked to leave the office, they did so. Subsequently, on November 17, ODoS informed Ramírez and McGehee Marley that they are being investigated for possible violations of University policy, namely unauthorized entry and conduct that interferes with or disrupts university activities. Based on these charges, we are concerned that the University is defining terms like ”disruption” in overly broad ways that impinge on students’ first amendment rights.
Just last week, President Jim Davis testified at the State Capitol before the Senate Select Committee on Civil Discourse and Freedom of Speech in Higher Education. Committee Co-Chair Representative Terry Wilson said, “The people of Texas expect their public universities to uphold the rule of law, to safeguard free expression, and to protect every student’s right to learn in an environment free from fear.” Wilson continued, “When those obligations are ignored, when intimidation takes the place of discourse, the integrity of higher education itself is at risk.” President Davis promised to uphold students’ right to free speech on campus and stated, “UT Austin’s commitment to civil discourse and freedom of speech is strong and will not waver on my watch.” However, the interference with GSA’s right to put forward resolutions and the disciplinary proceedings against an undergraduate and graduate student are part of a series of actions this semester on the part of UT Austin’s administrative leaders repressing student speech.
The AAUP Chapter at UT Austin calls on the Dean of Students Office to drop the disciplinary investigations against the two UT students. We also call on the Associate Dean for Graduate Studies to allow the GSA’s prohibited resolutions to proceed. If UT Austin’s leaders truly support the right to free speech, undergraduate and graduate students must be able to use existing venues to express their ideas about policies on our campus.
Statement by Karma Chavez, President of the AAUP chapter at UT Austin on the impending action by the Texas A&M Board of Regents regarding civil rights and academic freedom
November 11, 2025
We stand in solidarity with faculty and students in the Texas A&M University System who are opposing the revisions to Policy 08.01, Civil Rights Protections and Compliance, and 12.01, Academic Freedom, Responsibility and Tenure. to be considered on November 13, 2025 by the Board of Regents. This resolution is a breach of trust with faculty and students and a serious attack on academic freedom and the quality of education offered at Texas A&M institutions.
The resolution seeks to squelch teaching about gender, gender identity, and sexual orientation at Texas A&M institutions by requiring advance permission from the President to teach about “gender ideology.” This is defined as “a concept of self-assessed gender identity replacing, and disconnected from, the biological category of sex.” As anyone who teaches gender studies knows, the concept of gender is always distinct from sexual difference. Therefore, any teaching about gender issues–e.g., gender pay disparities, gendered work roles, gendered vulnerability to domestic abuse–would be subjected to special scrutiny by administrators unfamiliar with the subject area. This violates academic freedom, faculty’s free speech rights, and Texas A&M’s commitment to quality higher education.
The resolution would also require permission in advance to teach about “race ideology.” This is defined as “a concept that attempts to shame a particular race or ethnicity, accuse them of being oppressors in a racial hierarchy or conspiracy, ascribe to them less value as contributors to society and public discourse because of their race or ethnicity, or assign them intrinsic guilt based on the actions of their presumed ancestors or relatives in other areas of the world.” This definition of race ideology appears to be based on the misconception that faculty engage in indoctrination that belittles their students and attempts to instill shame or guilt in them. This assumption is untrue, based on hearsay, and damages the reputation of the stellar faculty at Texas A&M institutions. Faculty who teach about race engage in empirically-based lectures and discussions, and they must be allowed to do so when such material is, in the faculty’s own estimation, relevant to their course. Doing otherwise violates academic freedom and subjects faculty to unconstitutional prior restraint.
The resolution would also require prior approval for course content that “promotes activism on issues related to race or ethnicity, rather than academic instruction.” This, too, is an unconstitutional prior restraint on faculty’s classroom teaching–and on experiential education as well. There are countless topics that inspire students to engage in activism with respect to race or ethnicity: the history of medicine, the history of US politics and law, the sociology of labor relations, the history of social movements, the history of immigration, global health, global economics, environmental literature, religious history, etc. Prior restraint on the teaching of these topics would greatly damage the ability of Texas A&M faculty to teach their subject matter responsibly. The resolution, if enacted, would also have a chilling effect on students’ ability to pursue their own interests in activism.
Most broadly, the resolution requires all faculty to confine their teaching to material that is consistent with the approved syllabus for the course. Anyone who has taught in a university setting realizes that this would make faculty’s teaching mechanical, out of date, and ineffective. Faculty would have to constantly monitor what they say, and how they respond to student questions and interests, against the approved syllabus. A&M recruits some of the best faculty in the world, and they must be able to teach cutting-edge topics in the areas of their expertise. They must also be allowed to help their students apply their learnings to the real world. Anything else is not worthy of the A&M brand.
In solidarity with Texas A&M faculty and students, and in recognition of the ways these changes could degrade the educational standards for all colleges and universities in Texas, we call on the Regents to vote no on this destructive resolution.
We want to sincerely thank the retiring members of the Executive Committee for their extraordinary service. Brian Evans, who successfully revived our chapter at a critical time, is retiring as Past President. He continues to serve as the intrepid President of the Texas AAUP-AFT Conference. Andrea Gore is retiring after two terms as Vice President, and Steven Seegel is retiring after a term as At-Large Member .
Previous Officers
President
2023-2025 term
Polly Strong
Vice President
2022-2024 term
Andrea Gore
Secretary
2023-2025 term
Lauren Gutterman
Treasurer
2022-2024 term (last year of term)
Steven Seegel
At-Large Member #1
2023-2025 term
Julia Mickenberg
At-Large Member #2
2022-2024 term
Karma Chavez
Past President
Brian Evans
We want to express our most sincere gratitude to Jen Ebbeler (Treasurer 2022-2023) and Bill Fagelson (Secretary 2022-2023). They were incredibly active during our inaugural year as an officially recognized AAUP chapter in both on-campus and off-campus matters. We will miss Bill and Jen on the Executive Team and look forward to continue working together on AAUP initiatives.
AUSTIN, TEXAS — The Chapter of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) at UT Austin just learned of President Jay Hartzell’s resignation this morning, and wishes him well in his new position at Southern Methodist University. From our perspective as an organization dedicated to promoting principles of shared governance and academic freedom, the AAUP chapter at UT Austin trusts that the UT Board of Regents will follow AAUP and University of Texas System principles of shared governance by constituting a consultative committee for the Presidential search with meaningful participation of faculty, staff, and students. This is essential in order to build consensus around a new President and to establish a new vision for the University as we move forward.
ABOUT THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF UNIVERSITY PROFESSORS – Nationally, AAUP was founded by faculty in 1915. We champion academic freedom, advance shared governance, and organize all faculty to promote economic security and quality education. Texas AAUP was founded in 1964 and affiliated with Texas AFT in March, 2024.
UT Austin AAUP is one of several dozen advocacy chapters in Texas. For more information, please refer to https://aaup-utaustin.org.
Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2024, 10:00-11:30am CT, on Zoom.
Officers: Karma Chavez, Brian Evans, Andrea Gore, Lauren Gutterman, Steven Seegel, and Polly Strong (President) strongpolly@gmail.com.
Free inquiry, free expression, intellectual exploration, and open dissent are critical for student learning and the advancement of knowledge. Academic freedom is the freedom from institutional censorship of the instructional staff ‘s teaching, research, and expression. Academic freedom allows instructional staff to develop and disseminate new knowledge from all viewpoints, including conservative, moderate, liberal, and apolitical. Safeguards include shared governance, tenure and due process.
About AAUP
We champion academic freedom, advance shared governance, and organize all faculty to promote economic security and quality education. If you’re not already a member, please join AAUP – here are several reasons. Please follow us on X @aaup_utAustin and @TexasAaup.
Announcements
Join us for our Austin-area AAUP-AFT social gathering of academic freedom enthusiasts on the third Thursday of the month at 5pm at Tweedy’s Bar at 2908 Fruth St. near the UT campus. Bring a colleague.
The Texas AAUP-AFT Conference Spring 2025 Meeting will be Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025, 9am to 1pm in Austin, Texas, and on Zoom.
Monitored implementation of SB 17 & SB 18. Met with Provost & VP for Legal Affairs to express concerns about over-implementation. Publicized carve-outs for teaching & research.
Educated administrators & faculty on academic freedom & shared governance, including at Dean’s Council meeting (slides).
Advocated for academic freedom & due process for students.
Deeper attacks on academic freedom and its safeguards of tenure, due process, and shared governance than the last session.
Bills expected to censor certain course topics and content, strip faculty oversight of curriculum, and regulate faculty senates into irrelevance
Bills expected to empower Boards of Regents to directly appoint all department chairs and remove shared governance and academic freedom as criteria for university and college accreditation
Bills expected to remove or defund cultural, ethnic, and gender studies across a wide variety of disciplines including Liberal Arts, Social Work, Business, and Medicine.
State conferences bring together members of AAUP campus chapters, along with AAUP members working to form chapters on their campuses. As vehicles for collective action—within, and sometimes beyond, state boundaries—conferences connect faculty members with colleagues from other colleges and universities to advance AAUP principles and goals. Increasingly, they also provide members with a means of fighting back against legislative efforts to target higher education, often in collaboration with other local, regional, or national organizations.
AAUP members from seventeen chapters in Texas first formed a state AAUP conference in 1964. The conference currently represents twenty-eight AAUP advocacy chapters, including twelve new AAUP chapters certified at the June AAUP Council meeting. With AAUP members on seventy-five Texas campuses, the conference is also encouraging the formation of other new chapters in the state. In recent years, the Texas AAUP conference has developed strong relationships with allies such as the Texas Association of College Teachers, the Texas Faculty Association (the state-level affiliate of the National Education Association), the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, Texas Students for DEI, and the Texas State Employees Union. While the conference has a long history of engaging with lawmakers on issues relevant to higher education, it has been particularly active in doing so since February 2022, when Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick vowed to end tenure in public colleges and universities and when the Texas legislature began to propose dozens of bills hostile to education. After the national AAUP affiliated with the AFT in summer 2022, the Texas AAUP conference began to coordinate with the AFT’s state federation on legislative advocacy, and it voted in March 2024 to affiliate with Texas AFT. As the first AAUP conference to formalize such a state-level affiliation, the newly named Texas AAUP-AFT offers a model for other AAUP conferences that have the opportunity to affiliate with AFT state federations.
We learned more about Texas AAUP-AFT from conference leaders.
What have the purpose, focus, and activities of the conference been over the years?
Because collective bargaining is not allowed for public employees in Texas, the focus of the state AAUP conference has traditionally centered on advocacy for academic freedom and shared governance and not on contract negotiation. This advocacy has been carried out both in individual institutions of higher learning and, increasingly, in relation to the Texas legislature.
How has the conference involved members in legislative advocacy? Which advocacy strategies have been most effective?
Texas AAUP-AFT members actively advocate for higher education in the state and at national legislative offices. The Texas legislature, which leans hard right, has eroded cornerstones of modern higher education: academic freedom; tenure; and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts. Through it all, Texas AAUP-AFT members have formed relationships with legislators on both sides of the aisle and have been able to temper some language in bills that would have harmed the academic profession even more severely.
The Texas legislature convenes every other January for 140 days. During the 2023 legislative session, our members focused on three anti–higher education bills: SB 16, designed to ban certain types of teaching on race and gender; SB 17, to ban DEI offices and practices; and SB 18, to abolish tenure. In fall 2022 and throughout the session, our members drafted white papers that explained the harms of the bills; visited with legislators and their staffers to explain the value of academic freedom, equity, and tenure to a thriving university; and stayed up until all hours of the night to testify against these bills at hearings. Moreover, our members developed a robust media strategy to publicize our viewpoints widely. We also worked closely with allied groups across the state and nation including Texas AFT, Texas Students for DEI, the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, and several faculty organizations.
These efforts resulted in some significant wins and disappointing losses. SB 16, 17, and 18 all passed the Texas senate. SB 16, however, never made it out of the House Committee on Higher Education— a big win for academic freedom. The Texas House of Representatives passed its own version of SB 18 that didn’t eliminate tenure but significantly diminished tenure protections, and that version became law. SB 17 became law in a form that is wreaking havoc across Texas campuses as administrators appear to have interpreted it in the most extreme ways possible: closing whole academic units, dismissing hundreds of staff members primarily in student services, and preventing faculty members from applying for grants for research, training, programming, or clinical trials that have an equity component.
Nationally, our success has been more evident. We find that sometimes legislators just need to hear from faculty members. A case in point was when Texas AAUP members visited the state’s members of US Congress on the 2016 AAUP Capitol Hill Day and asked for reinstatement of summer Pell Grants. Representative Bill Flores was receptive and pushed it through Congress. We also worked with Senator John Cornyn’s office on several issues, even getting him to cosponsor a bill that the AAUP endorsed.
Why did the conference decide to affiliate with Texas AFT? What are the benefits of state-level affiliation for Texas AAUP-AFT members?
At first, Texas AAUP members were skeptical about the national AFT affiliation. The issues are different for unions in right-to-work states like Texas, and the Texas delegation, along with some delegates from other states without collective bargaining rights, were opposed to the 2022 affiliation vote. That has changed in Texas because of the AFT’s investment in the state. We’ve found that the coordination in legislative advocacy with the AFT has worked to our advantage. Texas AFT already had connections at the legislature that the conference lacked, allowing us to temper, if not stop, some of the worst bills, including the one targeting faculty tenure. Having access to staff is new to us. We have been volunteer-driven in the past. Now we see support from the two new full-time organizers that Texas AFT hired for higher education and from the well-organized and well-seasoned team of forty Texas AFT staff members in government relations, policy analysis, labor law, media relations, IT, and lobbying, who have taken our organizing and training capabilities to the next level. The Texas AFT member benefits of professional liability coverage and legal aid for criminal cases provide peace of mind. We are building our legal defense fund. Probably most important, membership in the AAUP has doubled in the last year in Texas! Faculty are meeting more frequently, and there is a sense that we are not in it alone.
How did the conference go about the process of affiliation? What advice would you offer to other state AAUP conferences pursuing affiliation with AFT federations in their states?
The statewide affiliation with the AFT resulted from the hard work of Texas conference President Brian Evans and Texas AFT President Zeph Capo. Through many meetings with their executive committees, Texas AFT and Texas AAUP were able to find a way to bring the strengths of both organizations to the table. The professional liability coverage benefit was attractive to faculty who are finding themselves in the crosshairs of attacks from various directions. Training opportunities have dramatically increased. Texas faculty members now find themselves part of a larger organization that includes educators from across the K–12 and higher education spectrum.
What are the priorities for Texas AAUP-AFT in the new academic year and beyond?
Texas AAUP-AFT will continue to develop the new relationship with Texas AFT and grow the organization. In April, Lieutenant Governor Patrick issued study items for the January 2025 legislative session that once again target faculty tenure, DEI, free speech, shared governance, and accreditation. Texas faculty members are under no illusion that the attacks will stop. Through our stronger statewide organization, we will have a bigger voice at the legislature.
Texas AAUP-AFT is also training members of its new Office of Faculty Representation to assist individual faculty members in trouble on their campuses. Finally, Texas AAUP-AFT hopes to extend our reach through increased membership. Our expanded access to liability insurance, legal aid, training, and support will all be attractive to faculty in the state.
Astrid Gandaria, Sandra Orta, and Mayra Reyes, formerly employed as lecturers with the School of Social Work at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV), filed a lawsuit in US District Court for the Southern District of Texas, McAllen Division, on October 21, 2024, alleging discrimination and retaliation. The discrimination allegations stem from repeated public comments made by the School of Social Work Dean Luis Torres-Hostos about their accent and Mexican ancestry (national origin). The alleged discrimination also extends to actions taken while two of the women were on FMLA leaves for cancer treatment, and to their disability status. The alleged discrimination would include violations of the Americans with Disability Act (ADA) and the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA).
The women also allege retaliation for raising concerns over workload issues that resulted in one of them being underpaid by over $24,000 and other issues which involved a negative work environment, alleged veiled threats, intimidation, and an investigation whose findings were never revealed to one of the plaintiffs.
The lawsuit can be found under Astrid Gandaria, Sandra Orta, and Mayra Reyes, Plaintiffs, v. University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, Defendant, filed October 21, 2024. UTRGV President Guy Bailey, UTRGV Provost Luis Zayas, and UTRGV Dean of the School of Social Work Louis Torres-Hostos are named in the lawsuit.
The UTRGV Chapter of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) and Texas Conference of the AAUP-AFT were first contacted about the terminations of these faculty members in early summer 2024. The Texas AAUP-AFT Office of Faculty Representation helped the faculty members evaluate their cases, and all three plaintiffs chose the law firm of Hill Gilstrap, PC, to represent them.
We’d like to invite you to testify with us in person on Nov. 11th. When testifying, you would speak for yourself as a private citizen using your First Amendment Rights. One the day of the hearing, we’ll provide logistical support and advice at the Capitol. For those who can’t make it to the Capitol, there are opportunities to advocate through calling Legislative offices and giving feedback on testimonies. With Texas AFT, we’ll provide training and coordinate talking points for our two-minute testimonies:
Higher-Ed in the Interim: Teach-In and Advocacy Training, Thursday, Nov. 7th, 6pm, RSVP to aaup.texas@gmail.com
The Texas Senate Higher Ed committee holds hearings between the biennial Legislative sessions to gather information concerning bills they are planning to file. The next session begins January 14, 2025. Here’s more info on the next session.
Higher Education – “Faculty Senates”: Review and analyze the structures and governance in higher education, focusing on the role of “faculty senates,” and like groups, in representing faculty interests to higher education institution administrations. Make recommendations to establish guidelines for the role and representation of faculty by “faculty senates”,and like groups, at higher education institutions in Texas.
Stopping DEI to Strengthen the Texas Workforce: Examine programs and certificates at higher education institutions that maintain discriminatory diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies. Expose how these programs and their curriculum are damaging and not aligned with state workforce demands. Make recommendations for any needed reforms to ensure universities are appropriately educating students to meet workforce needs.
Improving K12-College Pathways: Review the availability of Advanced Placement and dual credit course offerings in high schools and examine the transfer requirements required for students to receive higher education course credit. Identify the current challenges to streamlining the transfer process, including adequate counseling for high school students. Make recommendations to ensure students receive credit for successful completion of these courses.
Our faculty working conditions are our students’ learning environment, and the need to advocate for better faculty working conditions to improve the quality of education is greater than ever.
In our August survey, faculty revealed deep dissatisfaction with the state of higher ed in Texas, highlighting the negative impacts of political interference and deteriorating working conditions on faculty morale and retention [1]. The top concern was the state’s political climate followed by anxieties about academic freedom, salary, and diversity, equity, and inclusion issues.
We’re much stronger together when championing free inquiry, free expression, and open dissent, which are critical for student learning and the advancement of knowledge. Our collective voice is stronger when advocating against infringement on academic freedom and its safeguards of due process and shared governance. We can push for transparency and participation in budget decisions, and call out administrations when they cut teaching budgets while bloating their own administrative budgets. [2]
Since 1915, the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) has been the central organizing force in higher ed due to its widely adopted principles on academic freedom [3] and shared goverance [4]. In Texas, the advocacy by AAUP members is amplified by the 66,000 members and 40 staff of Texas American Federation of Teachers (AFT). Texas AAUP is affiliated with Texas AFT.
Texas AAUP-AFT provides training for advocacy on campus as AAUP members and with your elected officials as private individuals using your First Amendment Rights. Here’s the link to join. Membership benefits include liability insurance and legal aid. Monthly dues are on a sliding scale, and membership is kept confidential. Here are several reasons to join AAUP. Please provide a nonwork email address on the registration form to allow us the widest possibility latitude in discussing issues and action to take.
[2] Faculty Compensation Survey. AAUP has been conducting this survey since 1972. The data are drawn from a national database to which colleges and universities report salary data. The survey has shown that faculty salaries have been flat since 1972; i.e., they have not increased after adjusting for inflation. The survey also tracks administrative bloat, which draws significant resources away from the hiring of more faculty, multi-year employment contracts and tenure, staff compensation, and student support.
[3] Statement of Principles on Academic Freedom & Tenure, jointly formulated by American Association of Colleges & Universities (AAC&U) representing college and university administrations and AAUP representing professors. Adopted by more than 85% of public and non-profit four-year universities in the US.
[4] Statement on Government of Colleges and Universities, jointly formulated by the AAUP, American Council on Education, and Association of Governing Boards of Universities & Colleges. The AAUP represents faculty, ACE represents college and university administrations, and AGB represents University Systems, Boards of Regents, and Boards of Trustees. ACE has more than 1500 college and university members and AGB has more than 1300 college, university, and system members.
Texas Conference of the American Association of University Professors is affiliated with Texas American Federation of Teachers
AAUP is concerned about all faculty, regardless of rank or tenure status. We champion academic freedom, advance shared governance, and organize all faculty to promote economic security and quality education. Below, I mention several ways National AAUP and Texas AAUP-AFT have been advocating for professional track faculty, and we’re always looking for ways to do better. We organize faculty of all ranks and tenure status on topics of concern to our members. Please join us at Texas AAUP-AFT.
National data. Nationally, about 24% of faculty have tenure, 9% are on tenure-track, and 67% are not on tenure track. Of those not on tenure track, about 70% are part-time and 30% are full-time. AAUP has published in-depth data analysis in the following:
At UT Austin, about 50% of faculty are on tenure-track or are tenured and 50% are professional track faculty, not including the medical school.
Salary survey. Each year since 1972, AAUP has been conducting a faculty salary data. The data are drawn from a national database to which colleges and universities report salary data. The survey has shown that faculty salaries have been flat since 1972; i.e., they have not increased after adjusting for inflation. The survey also tracks administrative bloat, which draws significant resources away from the hiring of more faculty, multi-year employment contracts and tenure, staff compensation, and student support. The survey tracks salaries for instructors, assistant professors, associate professors, and full professors. Instructors are employed on short-term contracts without the possibility of earning tenure. At many institutions, assistant professors are on the tenure-track, and associate and full professors have tenure. Also, decline in state support for public higher ed causes a shift towards more non-tenure-track faculty:
Advocacy for non-tenure-track faculty. Many bills and priorities at the State Legislature affect all faculty, regardless of rank or tenure status. For example, none of the topics at Texas Senate Higher Education Subcommittee Hearing on Sept. 27, 2024, relate to tenure. All three items affect all faculty, regardless of rank or tenure status.
AAUP’s statements on academic freedom in teaching, research, and expression apply to all teachers. Teachers include all faculty, regardless of rank or tenure status, as well as graduate students, researchers, and others in a teaching role.
In the AAUP principles, the safeguards for academic freedom include due process, shared governance, and tenure. AAUP principles say that upon the eighth year of appointment, a full-time non-tenure-track faculty member should receive de facto tenure.
Texas AAUP-AFT has been advocating for due process and shared governance for tenure-track, tenured and non-tenure track faculty. We’ve also been advocating for rolling multiyear employment contracts for NTT faculty and for strengthening tenure.
In October 2023, Texas AAUP-AFT officers created an Office of Faculty Representation to advocate for faculty. 15 of our first 30 cases have been for non-tenure-track faculty. For example, our second case which was in October 2023 was for a non-tenure-track faculty member facing dismissal under the new tenure bill, Texas SB 18. On the same day the faculty member called us, we rallied AAUP members on the Faculty Senate to help the faculty member navigate the process, and within a couple of days, had arranged a lawyer to represent them in the grievance hearing. The faculty won their grievance hearing and the dismissal notice was dismissed.
Something might have struck you in that grievance case. The tenure bill, SB 18, was weaponized against non-tenure-track faculty members. This is because the second part of SB 18 defines 10 reasons for “good cause” to dismiss a faculty member, and that they apply to all faculty, regardless of rank or tenure status. Once SB 18 passed, Texas AAUP rallied the Faculty Senate presidents across the state to raise the bar for the 10 actions that can lead to dismissal to require that they be severe, intentional, and pervasive. This standard was adopted in the UT System and many other systems. Raising the bar helps all faculty members, regardless of rank or tenure status. Here’s the UT Austin AAUP Chapter response to the UT System concerning the UT System implementation of SB 18:
In the last Texas Legislature, we were able to garner bipartisan support to change the definition of tenure on the House floor from one-year employment contracts to continuous employment. This also saved multi-year employment contracts for professional track faculty. In fact, this bipartisan change in the definition of tenure is being used as a basis for a class action lawsuit by non-tenure-track faculty at Dallas College for their replacement of multi-year employment contracts with one-year employment contracts for faculty. All of their faculty are non-tenure-track. Here’s a visual summary of the Texas AAUP Legislative advocacy in the last session:
In the last Texas Legislature, Texas AAUP-AFT also helped stop the censorship bill, SB 16. This would have placed gag orders on all faculty (regardless of rank or tenure status) on topics related to gender, nationality, or ethnicity as well as political, social, and religious beliefs and practices.
Again, in the twelve months of existence, the Office of Faculty Representation has handled appeals and grievances for 15 non-tenure-track faculty members. Here’s another example: The faculty member’s Dean reassigned their duties in a way that caused a $40,000/year loss in income that had been stipulated in their employment contract. The faculty member had been afforded due process. We helped with their appeal and accompanied them in their meetings with their Dean. The Dean restored the $40,000/year in compensation.
We encourage all AAUP members to be involved in the Faculty Senate and its standing committees. Faculty Senate recommends policy changes, and hears appeals from tenure-track, tenured and non-tenure-track faculty concerning annual reviews and promotion cases as well as faculty grievances.
At UT Austin, for example, many AAUP members who are NTT faculty members have held leadership roles in the Faculty Council and its committees, including the Educational Policy Committee and IT Committee. The President of the Faculty Council in 2022-2024, Jen Moon, is an AAUP member and Professor of Instruction. We keep AAUP membership confidential, but Jen has made her AAUP membership public.
AAUP@UT 