The main benefit we get from our affiliation with AAUP is that AAUP is a national organization committed to defending academic freedom, protecting tenure, defending faculty governance, and more generally promoting the interests of faculty and institutions of higher education. AAUP has effective lobbyists at the state and national level and is well respected by state and federal elected leaders. Remaining affiliated would be the most straightforward way of continuing to support these activities we value.
A more detailed answer question can be found in Vol. 2: The pros and cons of remaining affiliated with AAUP and becoming compliant with our affiliation dues of the “Our Kent State Faculty Union and AAUP” series.
At a meeting on October 30, 2024, we invited AAUP leaders to submit a statement that we could share with our members outlining what they take to be the benefits to our union of remaining affiliated with AAUP. Their statement (received on February 5, 2025) is linked here.
