Our chapter officially relaunched in February 2021, with new officers and bylaws. Since that time our work has been focused in four specific areas: elevating faculty voices, aligning Mizzou with AAUP standards, monitoring administrative decisions and insisting on shared governance, and supporting students and staff to benefit our entire learning community. Read on to find out more about what we’ve accomplished and what our plans for the future are.
A Brief Timeline Of Our Recent Accomplishments
Dec. 2020
- MU chapter of the AAUP reconvened
- Election held by email ballot
Jan. 2021
- Results announced for election held by email ballot in Dec 2020
- Unanimous approval of slate of officers and executive committee
Feb. 2021
- Chuck Munter unanimously elected as non-voting AAUP representative to MU Faculty Council
- Feb. 4: Chapter Bylaws adopted via unanimous vote
- Feb. 5: MU chapter of the AAUP formally reinstated by national AAUP
March 2021
- At an all-campus faculty meeting, MU AAUP President Koditschek reminded UM System President and MU Chancellor Choi of the MU administration’s status, since 2016, as being under censure from the national AAUP; a follow-up request for a meeting between the MU AAUP and MU administration was sent in July 2021
April 2021
- Discovery of changes to the UM Collected Rules and Regulations that govern the faculty promotion and tenure process; chapter expressed concerns with changes to UM System President and MU Chancellor Choi and MU Provost Ramchand
- Chapter request to UM System President and MU Chancellor Choi and MU Provost Ramchand to postpone release of AY2021-2022 Call Letter for Promotion and Tenure; no response received
- April – May: Passed resolution in support of MU’s Social Justice Centers; disseminated widely to MU campus administration, faculty and the local press
May 2021
- AY2021-2022 Call Letter for Promotion and Tenure released with changed UM Collected Rules and Regulations reflected
- Chapter drafted, unanimously approved, and submitted letter to UM System President and MU Chancellor Choi and Vice Chancellor for Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity Gipson urging that disciplinary proceedings be stopped against students who protested changes to MU’s Social Justice Center
Future Action
Moving forward, we will continue to
- monitor changes to the UM Collected Rules and Regulations, especially as regards faculty promotion and tenure process and faculty governance;
- call for transparent decision-making about MU’s Social Justice Centers and advocate for students and staff affected by these decisions;
- and fight for free speech of students, faculty and staff on campus, including the right to peaceful protest.
New efforts include
- outreach to other UM system campus AAUP chapters and other campus and community stakeholders;
- extensive chapter recruitment; and
- hosting forums on topics of concern to diverse faculty.