Barnard COLLEGE AAUP

WHO WE ARE

In February 2024, Barnard College faculty members organized to form their own chapter of the American Association of University Professors, or AAUP, which which was formally recognized at the Annual Conference in June. We also work in collaboration with the Columbia chapter of the AAUP.

The American Association of University Professors (AAUP) was founded in 1915 and its mission is "to advance academic freedom and shared governance; to define fundamental professional values and standards for higher education; to promote the economic security of faculty, academic professionals, graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and all those engaged in teaching and research in higher education; to help the higher education community organize to make our goals a reality; and to ensure higher education's contribution to the common good. Founded in 1915, the AAUP has helped to shape American higher education by developing the standards and procedures that maintain quality in education and academic freedom in this country's colleges and universities."

RECOMMENDED READING

From AAUP National: "The Role of the Faculty in Budgetary and Salary Matters," initially adopted by the AAUP in 1972

From AAUP National -- "Report of a Special Committee: Political Interference and Academic Freedom in Florida's Public Higher Education System"

From the AAUP Center for the Defense of Academic Freedom -- "Manufacturing Backlash: Right-Wing Think-Tanks and Legislative Attacks on Higher Education 2021-2023"

From Barnard AAUP: "Barnard and Columbia in Crisis: 1968/2024

WHat We've been working on

NEW!

Barnard AAUP Condemns New "Expectations for Community Conduct"

Barnard AAUP condemns in the strongest possible terms the new “Barnard College Expectations for Community Conduct” issued on September 11, 2024. Designed without community input, issued without warning, and as vast as they are vague–these “expectations” create a pretext for a dangerous infringement on freedom of expression and academic freedom. See the statement here.

See the new community expectations here, and the President's email announcing them here and here.

Read Barnard AAUP President's Paper Comparing the Barnard and Columbia Protests in 1968 and 2024

Barnard AAUP President, Frederick Neuhouser, looked into the way the Barnard and Columbia administrations handled the student protests in 1968 and 2024 and found that despite the similarities, student disciplinary procedures at Barnard in 2024 have been significantly harsher.

Meeting with the Barnard Board of Trustees on August 2, 2024

On Friday, August 2, 2024, members of the Barnard AAUP Executive Committee, as well as members of the FGP and faculty representatives to the Board, met virtually with the Academic Affairs Committee of Barnard's Board of Trustees, together with Provost Walkowitz, and President Rosenbury. The following is a summary of what was discussed.

Laura Rosenbury focus of Annual AAUP Conference Panel for her Role in Political Interference in Florida's Higher Education System

The panel discussed a 2023 AAUP Special Committee report on interference in higher education by the DeSantis administration. Among the examples highlighted were the University of Florida and Laura Rosenbury’s actions in barring law school faculty from testifying as expert witnesses against a voter suppression law, which were described as “one of the earliest and most disturbing signs of trouble in Florida’s higher education system.”

Fact Sheet on Student Discipline

In light of the AAUP Joint Statement on the Rights and Freedoms of Students, Barnard's AAUP chapter has prepared a fact sheet demonstrating how Barnard College has egregiously failed to provide any safeguards to its students by passing illegitimate policies about student protests and then denying due process to the students it criminalizes and punishes under these policies.

Letter to Board of Trustees, June 20, 2024

Barnard AAUP re-iterated our request that the Board of Trustees hold listening sessions with faculty in the wake of the April no-confidence vote.

Members Vote of No Confidence in President Laura Rosenbury, April 22, 2024

Barnard members of the American Association of University Professors voted 102-0 that they did not have confidence in President Laura Rosenbury's ability to serve as President of Barnard College.

A Letter to Dean Leslie Grinage Calling to End Improper and Illegitmate Student Suspensions and Disciplinary Hearings, April 22, 2024

Barnard members of the American Association of University Professors delivered a letter to Dean Leslie Grinage, condemning the illegitimate and inhuman student evictions of Barnard College students and demanded a reversal of the suspensions and policies made without faculty input.

A Declaration by the American Association of University Professors Of Barnard and Columbia Following the Mass Emergency Meeting of the Faculty Held on Friday, April 19, 2024

Following the mass emergency meeting of the faculty held on Friday, April 19, 2024, the Barnard and Columbia Chapters of the American Association of University Professors distributed a statement condemning the arrest of more than 100 students peacefully protesting on campus.

Joint statement by the American Association of University Professors, Barnard and Columbia Chapters, April 19, 2024

On April 19, 2024, the Barnard and Columbia Chapters sent the attached letter addressing the testimony to Congress of President Shafik, the co-chairs of the Board of Trustees, and one of the co-chairs of the Task Force on Antisemitism, as well as the April 18 arrest of 100+ protesters on Columbia's campus.

Letter to the Barnard Board of Trustees, April 15, 2024

On April 15, 2024, the Barnard members of AAUP sent the attached letter to the trustees of Barnard College condemning the erosion of shared governance, free speech and due process at the college, and demanding that no new policy be made without faculty input and that student suspensions be dismissed.

Statement of Student Solidarity, 2024

Barnard members of AAUP issued the following statement in support of students undergoing disciplinary proceedings under policy that was passed with no consultation with faculty.

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