On Saturday, April 22, 2023, the Louisiana Conference of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP-LA) passed a resolution at its annual meeting at Southern University in Baton Rouge. AAUP-LA Resolution on Academic Freedom to Teach, Research, and Perform Service on “Divisive” Social Issues 4.24.2023 B AAUP-LA Resolution on Academic Freedom and Discourse on _Divisive Topics_
The AAUP Louisiana Conference is sponsoring a symposium on the campus of Southern University, Friday and Saturday, April 21-22 in Baton Rouge. The guest speaker and facilitator will be Bethany L. Letiecq, Associate Professor of Research Methods & Human Development and Family Science at George Mason University. She is also President of the Virginia Conference of the AAUP. Dr. Letiecq’s topic, “Because Faculty Working Conditions are Student Learning Conditions: Building a Campaign to Improve Infrastructure” was chosen in consultation with members of the Executive Committee. The symposium is structured to inform, organize and mobilize faculty members in proven methods of executing influential campaigns. Soon we may need to mobilize a campaign to save tenure in our state, and Dr. Letiecq’s expertise will assist in improving the efficacy of our Conference whether the issue is decaying buildings or the protection of academic freedom In conjunction with the symposium, President Thomas Miller has called a special meeting of the Conference to be held on Saturday for the purpose of forming a standing committee to execute future campaigns and update the membership on the state of the Conference. Additional agenda items can be sent to stevenrushing321@gmail.com or thomas.miller@sus.edu no later than Thursday, April…
Dear Colleagues, The Louisiana Conference of AAUP held its annual meeting April 23, 2022, at Southern University in Baton Rouge. Business was as follows: Election of officers. The Nominations Committee had prepared the following slate. President: Hugh Wilson (Grambling) Vice-President: Vipin Menon (McNeese) Secretary: Tom Miller (Southern-BR) Treasurer: Kevin Cope (LSU-BR) At-Large: Steve Rushing (Southeastern) From the floor, Tom Miller was nominated for the Presidency, and won the vote unanimously. With the Secretary’s position vacant, Steve Rushing was nominated for it and won that vote, also unanimously. With the At-Large position now vacant, Phil Auter (UL Lafayette) was nominated, and won that vote unanimously. The Nominating Committee’s candidates for Vice-President and for Treasurer were also elected unanimously. The new offers are therefore: President: Tom Miller (Southern-BR) Vice-President: Vipin Menon (McNeese) Secretary: Steve Rushing (Southeastern) Treasurer: Kevin Cope (LSU-BR) At-Large: Phil Auter (UL Lafayette) Senate Concurrent Resolution 6, on the creation of a task force on tenure in public postsecondary education. (The bill has since been amended to include representatives from each of the four university systems). The Association of Louisiana Faculty Senates has crafted a resolution opposing the plan, that AAUPLA has signed onto, but AAUPLA will also craft its…
Dear Colleagues, About fifteen of us were at the January 29 meeting. Business decisions were: 1/ A constitutional amendment, allowing the Treasurer to serve as many as four rather than two terms. This, as you know, is in response to changes in banking rules in Louisiana, that make changing signatories on accounts a cumbersome process. Other Board members are still limited to two terms. The revised language has been added to the Constitution (available on this site), Article IV, Section 2. 2/ A nominations committee for April elections is in formation, chaired by Sudhir Trivedi (SU-BR). Ravi Rau (LSU-BR) is a member, and we are seeking a third member. Feelers are out but interested people should also contact Sudhir. The committee will prepare a slate, and if you are interested in a position, you should contact them. Nominations and self-nominations from the floor can also be made at the meeting. We need at least two new board members, due to term limits and retirements. The main, very engaging presentation was: Matthew Neale Boedy, President of the Georgia Conference of AAUP and Associate Professor of English at the University of North Georgia. Boedy discussed the multiple changes made in the University…