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The Tennessee Conference of the American Association of University Professors Advancing Academic Freedom and Shared Governance, Defining Fundamental |
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TAAUP Constitution Advocacy Toolkit Minutes from Past Meetings Newsletter Archive Tennessee AAUP Foundation Tennessee AAUP Foundation What TAAUP Does The Tennessee Conference of the AAUP provides services to its constituent colleges and universities and to the state as a whole, and strives to protect the rights of all faculty members in Tennessee public and private institutions, whether they are full-time or adjunct, tenured, tenure track, or non-tenure track. We attempt to help government officials, the media and the general public understand the importance of higher education in helping students become more competitive in a global economy and more capable of exercising their rights and responsibilities as citizens, and to convey the vital role that faculty plays in achieving those goals. Conference Officers President, Tennessee AAUP Conference: Máté Wierdl, University of Memphis, Department of Mathematical Sciences Wierdlmate@gmail.com Past President, Tennessee AAUP Conference: Vice President, Four-Year Public Universities: Vice President, Community Colleges: David Johnson, Volunteer State Community College Vice President, Contingent Faculty: Vacant Vice President, Private Universities:
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Cynthia George Reports
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Get a Speaker/Be a SpeakerWould you like someone to speak on current campus (AAUP related) issues, or would you like to sponsor a speaker event on your campus in the Spring or Fall 2025 terms? Or would you like to speak on other campuses? If you are interested, please email Josie McQuail jamquail@gmail.comBeing a republican with a small rThoughts from Troy D. Smith, Dept. of History, Tennessee Tech University |
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I was fortunate enough to be able to attend the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) Summer Institute held July 17-20, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia. Several hundred members from AAUP and the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) gathered on the campuses of Morehouse and Spellman Colleges, both historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs), under the Institute theme of “Building our Power in Higher Ed.” There were more than thirty sessions offered focusing on content including financial analysis of university budgets, building finance-based arguments to promote change, best practices for strategic communications with the public and the press, defending academic freedom, political mobilization, organizing within legal frameworks, the unique issues being faced by HBCUs and women of color, protecting immigrants and international students and colleagues, and managing intellectual property protections in the age of artificial intelligence. There were also several sessions offering traditional AAUP chapter guidance such as best practices for membership engagement, leadership development, and supporting advocacy chapters to function like a union, even if when they do not have collective bargaining rights. There were also social mixers to promote fellowship among AAUP-AFT Local 6741 members and another focused on building connections across HBCUs. In summary, I found the 2025 AAUP Summer Institute to be very educational and inspirational. I met many wonderful people and learned a great deal of information. I was able to walk away with tangible tools to help support my university and the TN Conference of AAUP. I highly recommend that the TN Conference of AAUP seek to send more people to the 2026 Summer Institute. For more information about the Institute or view the full event program, visit this website:
"How Government Censorship and Campus Obedience Endanger Academic Freedom.” by John K. Wilson
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