Dear Colleagues,

The minutes of the January 30 meeting are up in this site under Minutes (tab to the left), and will be mailed out over the listserv. Our April 24 meeting will be virtual due to the ongoing COVID-19 situation. News of our resolution on higher education boards, and our letter to the University of Kansas administration is forthcoming, and we have committees working on COVID-19 as well as media/outreach strategies. Committee A has a case on the language of faculty handbooks, that will affect us all.

In Louisiana we have 249 members at this time, and a new chapter has formed at the University of Holy Cross. I am hoping we can increase membership this quarter, replacing anyone who retires or moves, and pushing beyond that 250 mark.

I wish you the best this semester, and hope to see you in the spring.

In solidarity,

LESLIE
Leslie Bary
2020-2022 President
Louisiana Conference AAUP

Agenda

OFFICER AND COMMITTEE REPORTS

1. Executive Committee: Letter on Garrett Felber
2. Treasurer
3. Ad hoc Committee on COVID-19
4. Other officer and committee reports (Committee A, Committee on Gender and Sexuality, Committee on Media Management, Committee on Outreach and Communication)

• Ad Hoc Committee and Committee on Outreach and Communication do have projects pending; Committee A may have a report; Gender and Sexuality and Media Management may have announcements

OLD BUSINESS

1. Resolution on HE Boards (see Minutes, 24 October 2020)
2. Dues subsidy program (Secretary Thomas Miller, Treasurer Kevin Cope)
3. Membership (President Leslie Bary). We are about to break 250 members, nearly a 50% increase over membership in summer 2018. If we have 251 or more at institutions with chapters, we get a second delegate to the national convention. We are very close. Let us (a) replace everyone who retires or moves with two new members and (b) create chapters where there are none. These are realistic goals and they will make a difference.

NEW BUSINESS

1. Faculty Retirement ORP: update on LSU lawsuit (Kevin Cope, Roger Laine)
2. Academic freedom, particularly in the context of faculty handbooks and tenure/promotion policy (language on “respect” and collegiality). There was a recent discussion of this at Cambridge University and AAUP has a clear position on it, however, such language is increasingly present in our handbooks and increasingly difficult to remove (Jana Giles)
3. Anything else from the floor

HEALTH, WELFARE AND GENERAL ANNOUNCEMENTS

ADJOURNMENT

 

The minutes of the October 24 meeting are up on this site, and have been sent to all current members. There was a rich discussion. We have a number of plans, and more issues identified for action.

We meet again by Zoom in late January (Saturday, the 23d or 30th, to be decided), and in person at UL Lafayette / on Zoom Saturday, April 24, for the annual meeting.

I urge everyone to read the minutes carefully. We will be in touch!

In solidarity,

LESLIE

Leslie Bary
2020-2022 President
Louisiana Conference AAUP