Rethinking the ‘Teaching Professor’
Over the past decade, some higher educational institutions have aimed to stabilize faculty ranks by establishing fixed-term “Teaching Professor” positions. These roles include standard workloads, re-appointment assessments, and committee service. The AAUP supports this model but acknowledges its weaknesses, such as non-tenure contracts and inconsistent hiring practices. The AAUP advocates for converting these positions to tenure-track for better academic freedom.
The mission of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) is to advance academic freedom and shared governance; to define fundamental professional values and standards for higher education; to promote the economic security of faculty, academic professionals, graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and all those engaged in teaching and research in higher education; to help the higher education community organize to make our goals a reality; and to ensure higher education’s contribution to the common good. Founded in 1915, the AAUP has helped to shape American higher education by developing the standards and procedures that maintain quality in education and academic freedom in this country’s colleges and universities.
Who
We Are
Latest News
See All Stories
AAUP Finds Muhlenberg College Violated Academic Freedom
The AAUP Committee of Inquiry on Muhlenberg College’s firing of Dr. Maura Finkelstein in 2024 has released its 32-page findings:…
Read More
Building a New Relationship with Trustees
One of the most daunting challenges in creating bona fide shared governance on campuses is the absence of established means…
Read More
Muhlenberg College’s Suspension and Dismissal of Tenured Professor Over Gaza-Related Speech
On September 26, 2024, the AAUP announced that it would conduct an inquiry into the case of Muhlenberg College’s Maura Finkelstein,…
Read MoreBecome a Member
Join to become a member of the national AAUP