Latest news with #AAUP
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Kansas AAUP denounces Trump administration ‘assault' on international students
The Kansas chapter of the American Association of University Professors and the Wichita State University unit of AAUP-AFT issued statements in support of international students who could be targeted by the administration of President Donald Trump. In this image WSU students walk to class on campus. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector) TOPEKA — The Kansas conference of the American Association of University Professors condemned the targeting of college and university international students and scholars by the administration of President Donald Trump. The statement signed by Mary Turner, president of the Kansas AAUP, said it was wrong for the federal government to refuse scholars entry into the United States, revoke student visas or to take students into custody for proceedings that could include deportation. 'These actions, which are brazen attacks on the First Amendment and the right to learn, have been enacted by hidden bureaucrats and masked agents and have proceeded without any semblance of due process,' the statement said. 'In addition to their impact on international students, they also strike at the heart of academic freedom and the international community of scholars.' The Kansas conference of AAUP urged colleges and universities in the state to refuse to assist with the 'assault on higher education.' 'At a moment when the future of higher education and free speech are in peril, Kansas higher education institutions have obligations beyond doing no harm,' the Kansas AAUP statement said. 'If they fail to protect these international students and scholars, they jeopardize the safety and academic freedom of all students and scholars.' Kansas higher education institutions enroll approximately 8,600 international students, Kansas AAUP said. It is not clear how many of these students had visas revoked by the Trump administration. Gamal Weheba, president of the AAUP-AFT chapter at Wichita State University, said the organization issued a resolution in support of international students in Wichita. He said in an interview that 27 graduate students at WSU had visas revoked during the spring semester. 'The international students are really scared,' said Weheba, a professor of engineering. 'We care about the students, all of them, but especially international students.' The majority of WSU's international graduate students were enrolled in data science and computer science programs within the College of Engineering, Weheba said. 'We have to take a stand here,' he said. 'Our basic message now to students is we're here, we have your back.' The AAUP resolution from Wichita State said the university administrators should commit to helping international students with degree completion, maintaining positions or stipends, and supporting legal action to challenge removal or rejection of student visas. It said WSU President Richard Muma ought to issue a statement 'clarifying student rights and legal protections to the student body, staff and faculty of the institution.' The resolution asked WSU to provide direction to faculty on how to accommodate students who were unable to complete academic work in the spring semester. Weheba said international students had studies interrupted after revocation of a visa or were afraid to attend classes for fear of drawing scrutiny or being taken into custody. 'This visa removal process has placed students in a legal limbo and induced fear and anxiety into the campus student community and adversely impacted the institutional mission,' the resolution said. Neither WSU nor the Kansas Board of Regents immediately responded to requests for comment about the AAUP statements. Specifically, Kansas AAUP asked higher education administrators to cease turning over personal student information in response to federal investigations of alleged violations of Title VI the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The Trump administration has relied on an interpretation of Title VI to launch inquiries into whether colleges or universities discriminated on the basis of race, color and national origin in federally funded programs. Kansas AAUP urged higher education administrators to avoid voluntary cooperation with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement engaged in activities that could lead to deportation of students or scholars. In addition, the statement asked colleges and universities in Kansas to not comply with Trump's executive order calling on campus administrators to monitor and report on international students and staff. Colleges and universities in Kansas should keep international students enrolled in the event of a visa revocation, legal status termination, detention or deportation, Kansas AAUP said. If possible, the statement said, students and scholars should be allowed to continue their studies remotely. 'Work swiftly and affirmatively — through lawsuits, if necessary — to stop the termination of legal status of students and scholars without any due process,' the statement said.
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Columbia faculty rights group condemns university's handling of library takeover: 'Authoritarian ethos'
A faculty rights group at Columbia University condemned the administration's response to an anti-Israel protest at the campus library on Wednesday, which resulted in dozens of arrests. A letter from the executive committee of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) at Columbia aimed at addressing the "erosion of shared governance" denounced a decision made by acting president Claire Shipman to call the NYPD for assistance. The protest broke out on Wednesday afternoon when anti-Israel agitators stormed Butler Library, occupying a reading room inside and breaching one of the building's exterior doors. Two campus police officers were also injured during the protest. The NYPD said 80 arrests were made, and Fox News learned approximately 50 of those people were confirmed to be Columbia students. Dozens Of Anti-israel Agitators Arrested After Storming, Taking Over Columbia University Library During Finals In its letter, the AAUP mostly ignored the details of the protest, which damaged and disrupted a study area for students preparing for finals, and described the incident as "tragic" while focusing on the university's "institutional slide toward executive rule." Read On The Fox News App The group said in an attempt to "placate" the Trump administration, Columbia's leadership has weakened academic freedom, shared governance and student protest, "echoing the authoritarian ethos now holding sway in Washington." "As the Trump administration has demanded ever more draconian crackdowns on student protest, our administration has responded by granting enhanced powers to public security that can as easily escalate as defuse confrontations with students and that last night did not prevent the administration from again summoning the NYPD to campus," the group wrote, in part. Columbia's Acting President Slams Storming Of Campus Library By Anti-israel Agitators: 'Utterly Unacceptable' Prior to Wednesday's protest, Shipman had said she would be reviewing and reforming the University Senate, which is a governing body at Columbia made up of elected representatives from all departments on campus, amid negotiations with the federal government over the drastic cut in funding to the university. In March, Columbia lost more than $400 million in federal grants after the Trump administration said the school failed to address the rise in antisemitism on campus. The AAUP called on her not to follow through with the review as the university is experiencing a "moment of crisis," adding that it "strenuously objects to both the timing and the plan" for it. "In imposing this review at this time and in this manner, the President and the Board of Trustees are taking aim at shared governance and replacing it with top-down corporate management, indicating a profound misunderstanding of what university leadership and fiduciary obligations require," the group said. The group shared a list of six recommendations, which call for a "unified response to the current crisis" instead of dismantling the decision-making structures that have been in place for decades. The AAUP has also been vocal in its criticism of Columbia for punishing, suspending and expelling students involved in anti-Israel protests on campus. One of the group's recommendations includes radically enhancing "mediation, consultation and de-escalation protocols for immediate deployment during campus disturbances, especially student protests."Original article source: Columbia faculty rights group condemns university's handling of library takeover: 'Authoritarian ethos'
Fox News
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
Columbia faculty rights group condemns university's handling of library takeover: 'Authoritarian ethos'
A faculty rights group at Columbia University condemned the administration's response to an anti-Israel protest at the campus library on Wednesday, which resulted in dozens of arrests. A letter from the executive committee of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) at Columbia aimed at addressing the "erosion of shared governance" denounced a decision made by acting president Claire Shipman to call the NYPD for assistance. The protest broke out on Wednesday afternoon when anti-Israel agitators stormed Butler Library, occupying a reading room inside and breaching one of the building's exterior doors. Two campus police officers were also injured during the protest. The NYPD said 80 arrests were made, and Fox News learned approximately 50 of those people were confirmed to be Columbia students. In its letter, the AAUP mostly ignored the details of the protest, which damaged and disrupted a study area for students preparing for finals, and described the incident as "tragic" while focusing on the university's "institutional slide toward executive rule." The group said in an attempt to "placate" the Trump administration, Columbia's leadership has weakened academic freedom, shared governance and student protest, "echoing the authoritarian ethos now holding sway in Washington." "As the Trump administration has demanded ever more draconian crackdowns on student protest, our administration has responded by granting enhanced powers to public security that can as easily escalate as defuse confrontations with students and that last night did not prevent the administration from again summoning the NYPD to campus," the group wrote, in part. Prior to Wednesday's protest, Shipman had said she would be reviewing and reforming the University Senate, which is a governing body at Columbia made up of elected representatives from all departments on campus, amid negotiations with the federal government over the drastic cut in funding to the university. In March, Columbia lost more than $400 million in federal grants after the Trump administration said the school failed to address the rise in antisemitism on campus. The AAUP called on her not to follow through with the review as the university is experiencing a "moment of crisis," adding that it "strenuously objects to both the timing and the plan" for it. "In imposing this review at this time and in this manner, the President and the Board of Trustees are taking aim at shared governance and replacing it with top-down corporate management, indicating a profound misunderstanding of what university leadership and fiduciary obligations require," the group said. The group shared a list of six recommendations, which call for a "unified response to the current crisis" instead of dismantling the decision-making structures that have been in place for decades. The AAUP has also been vocal in its criticism of Columbia for punishing, suspending and expelling students involved in anti-Israel protests on campus. One of the group's recommendations includes radically enhancing "mediation, consultation and de-escalation protocols for immediate deployment during campus disturbances, especially student protests."
Axios
25-04-2025
- Politics
- Axios
Indiana Republicans take aim at public universities
Republican lawmakers dismantled several key tenets of the public higher education system, including tenure, with language slipped into the state budget bill at the last minute. The big picture: Tenure is the indefinite appointment of college and university professors and researchers, achieved after demonstrating excellence during a multi-year probationary period, that protects them from dismissal without cause. According to the American Association of University Professors (AAUP), it promotes academic freedom and institutional stability. Why it matters: Other states and institutions that eroded tenure and made moves to limit academic freedom have seen professors leave, sometimes in droves. State of play: Provisions eroding tenure and shared governance — the concept by which governing boards, administrators and faculty members share responsibility for decision-making at higher education institutions — were added to the 215-page bill 24 hours before it was set to be voted on by the Indiana General Assembly. The bill requires "tenured faculty member productivity reviews," which creates pathways to dismissal for tenured faculty members that don't meet productivity requirements set by the institution's governing board. It requires faculty to post a syllabus online for each course taught. Threat level: "It runs the risk of not just eroding tenure but destroying it," said Mark Criley, senior program officer in the department of academic freedom, tenure and governance with the AAUP. Another provision asserts that actions taken by faculty governance organizations, such as faculty councils and senates, are advisory only. Those groups traditionally make decisions around hiring and promotion processes, curricula and other academic issues. The latest: The budget bill passed the House, 66-27, and the Senate, 39-11, a little after midnight. What they're saying: Democrats were critical of the language and the way it was introduced outside the usual legislative process. "For provisions of this magnitude to come up with no notice, no opportunity for public hearing, in a budget bill, which everybody knows is a must pass bill ... it's an outrage," said Rep. Matt Pierce, D-Bloomington. "They've calculated an end-run around the public to get these provisions in." The House's budget writer, Rep. Jeff Thompson, R-Lizton, said the language was added because universities, like all of state government, needs to get more efficient. They're taking a 5% budget cut during the next two years. He couldn't, though, answer specific questions about who suggested the language. "All we've heard is that there was a group of people, who no one can remember their names, that met behind closed doors and decided they're going to tear apart one of the greatest universities in the country," said Rep. Ryan Dvorak, D-South Bend. "I think that's unacceptable." Reality check: It's not unheard of for non-budget policy language to get passed through the budget bill. Yes, but: A lot of language targeting higher education was added at the last minute behind closed doors. One provision gives total control of the IU Board of Trustees to the governor, eliminating the three seats that were previously elected by alumni, and another requires institutions regularly review degree programs and amend or cut those that aren't effective enough. "The universities are slowly being destroyed," Pierce told Axios. "Between the moves of the Trump administration and now these provisions ... they're going to deter the best and brightest scholars from coming and researching and finding new cures. They're not going to have the grants and the funding they need to do that kind of research." "It's going to hurt everyone. Not just the people attending the universities or working at them, but the people who have benefited from the innovations and the inventions and the discoveries through research at universities." The other side: Thompson said the state has a responsibility to maximize taxpayer dollars.
Yahoo
15-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Harvard receives support from Yale, Stanford
Harvard University received support from Stanford University and Yale University as its legal battle with the Trump administration continues to draw national attention. Representatives from both schools supported Harvard's decision to reject the government's demands to rid the institution of diversity, equity and inclusion policies amid other directives. 'Universities need to address legitimate criticisms with humility and openness. But the way to bring about constructive change is not by destroying the nation's capacity for scientific research, or through the government taking command of a private institution,' Stanford President Jonathan Levin and Provost Jenny Martinez wrote in a Tuesday statement. 'Harvard's objections to the letter it received are rooted in the American tradition of liberty, a tradition essential to our country's universities, and worth defending,' the two added. The American Association of University Professors (AAUP) and its Cambridge campus chapter launched a lawsuit against the Trump administration on Saturday in an effort to block the removal of federal funds from Harvard over unfulfilled demands. The Department of Education said Monday it would freeze approximately $2.2 billion in multiyear grants and $60 million in multiyear contracts for the institution in response to the school's alleged failure to combat antisemitism. 'We stand together at a crossroads. American universities are facing extraordinary attacks that threaten the bedrock principles of a democratic society, including rights of free expression, association, and academic freedom,' the Yale AAUP chapter and corresponding faculty wrote in an open letter to the school's administrators. They urged leaders to defend free speech, promote university self-governance and proactively work with other colleges and universities in collective defense against political threats. Former President Obama also slammed the Trump administration for demanding changes to Harvard's campus structure. 'Harvard has set an example for other higher-ed institutions — rejecting an unlawful and ham-handed attempt to stifle academic freedom, while taking concrete steps to make sure all students at Harvard can benefit from an environment of intellectual inquiry, rigorous debate and mutual respect. Let's hope other institutions follow suit,' he wrote in a Monday post on the social platform X. Harvard interim President Alan Garber said the institution would continue to fight the government's attempts to influence higher education in America by repealing federal funds. 'The administration's prescription goes beyond the power of the federal government. It violates Harvard's First Amendment rights and exceeds the statutory limits of the government's authority under Title VI. And it threatens our values as a private institution devoted to the pursuit, production, and dissemination of knowledge,' Garber wrote Monday. 'No government — regardless of which party is in power — should dictate what private universities can teach, whom they can admit and hire, and which areas of study and inquiry they can pursue,' he added. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
