The AAUP condemns the reported arrests of two faculty members and three designations of faculty as "persona non grata" at New York University. As the AAUP has maintained since 1940, faculty should be free from institutional censorship and discipline when speaking or writing as citizens. 

The AAUP urges the Western Association of Schools and Colleges’ Senior College and University Commission not to bend to the political winds by reversing its commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion in its standards for accreditation.

The AAUP is thrilled to announce the appointment of Veena Dubal, professor of law at the University of California, Irvine, School of Law, as the Association’s next general counsel. Professor Dubal’s research focuses broadly on law, technology, and precarious workers, combining legal and empirical analysis to explore issues of labor and inequality. Dubal will work closely with the AAUP’s legal staff to pursue AAUP activities, which include advising on higher education legal issues; preparing amicus briefs; monitoring legal developments in higher education around the country; and keeping the Association apprised of new and emerging legal issues that may have implications in areas such as academic freedom, labor and employment law, freedom of expression, and intellectual property rights.

The AAUP stands with Texas faculty associations in protesting the reported censorship of more than 200 courses at the University of North Texas. The reported removal of words such as “race,” “gender,” “class,” and “equity” from undergraduate and graduate course titles and descriptions appears to represent a troubling departure from widely accepted standards of academic freedom and shared governance.

The AAUP is committed to defending our campuses and the mission of higher education through organizing our communities to face the challenges that lie ahead. Our collective power is needed now more than ever. To that end, we will do everything in our power to protect our institutions, faculty, staff, and students and stand up against those seeking to violate academic freedom and the core principle of higher education conducted for the common good.