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University of Minnesota
Twin Cities Chapter |
News
About the AAUP.
The mission of the AAUP, identified on the national website at aaup.org:
- 7/10/2026: The Macalester College AAUP and AAUP National have each released statements on the disturbing indictments of 15 people, including Macalester professor and AAUP leader Erik Davis, for organizing against federal immigration actions in Minnesota.
- 7/8/2026: Only July, the American Association of University Professors (AAUP), AFT Connecticut, Yale AAUP and the national AFT sent a letter to the Yale University Board of Trustees, urging them to reject any negotiated, closed-door settlement with the Trump administration regarding its admissions practices. Read more in the AFT press release.
- 623/2026: UMN Twin Cities AAUP Statement on the University of Minnesota FY 2027 Budget.
- 6/20/2026: On June 10, 2026, chapter President Will Jones, incoming Vice President Emma Molls, and outgoing Vice President Heather Holcombe met with Provost Gretchen Ritter to discuss efforts to protect academic freedom for term faculty, P&A faculty and librarians at the University of Minnesota. You will find a summary of the meeting in this follow up letter sent June 19.
- 6/8/2026: Add Your Voice to Stop OMB's Attack on American Science. Russell Vought is trying to destroy American science & federally funded research as we know it with OMB’s proposed “Regulation for Federal Financial Assistance” rule.
- 5/6/2026: The AAUP executive committee sent this letter to each of the Regents calling their attention to the recent Faculty Senate resolution affirming that all individuals in P&A roles doing long-term work in teaching or research need to be classified by the University as faculty, and that both term faculty and librarians require stronger academic freedom protections.
- 4/22/2026: The AAUP and AFT jointly launched a new comprehensive policy platform ahead of the 2026 midterms aimed to counter the Trump administration’s far right extremist attacks on American higher education and secure a strong future for public colleges and universities. The new framework, titled “A Blueprint for Strengthening and Transforming Higher Education,” outlines a vision where colleges and universities are treated as an indispensable public good crucial for a functioning democracy rather than corporate entities.
- 3/30/2026: AFT/AAUP members and a group of immigrant researchers and professionals filed a federal lawsuit on Feb. 3rd challenging the Trump administration’s “Gold Card” visa program, which unlawfully sells US residency to wealthy individuals while pushing aside scientists, researchers, engineers, and other outstanding professionals whom Congress directed the system to prioritize.
- 1/25/2026: An email to Provost Ritter on January 25, 2026 regarding response to current events in Minneapolis.
- 1/20/2026: Call to support the Day of Truth and Freedom, an email from our EC to President Cunningham, Provost Ritter, and the Board of Regents.
- 1/10/2026: In Anger and Solidarity, an email from our EC to AAUP members.
- Previous news items can be found here.
About the AAUP.
The mission of the AAUP, identified on the national website at aaup.org:
Advancing academic freedom and shared governance; defining professional values and standards; promoting the economic security of those who teach and research in higher education; organizing to make our goals a reality; and ensuring higher education's contribution to the common good.
The University of Minnesota Twin Cities chapter works to realize the AAUP mission on the campus. Its members, comprising people who teach or conduct research at the university, work both within and outside of the existing governance structure to further this mission. The activities of the chapter encompass the following:
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- An organizational role, in which it functions to identify issues from the grassroots and to involve members and non-members in thinking through solutions
- An advocacy role, in which it apprises the administration and governance of issues and follows up with support from its constituency towards ensuring their resolution
- A synergistic role with governance, where its members work within the existing governance structure to represent its perspectives and to raise relevant issues
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