Who We Are

The American Association of University Professors (AAUP) was founded in 1915 to develop the fundamental professional values and standards for higher education, to promote the interests of higher education teaching and research, and to advance the rights of academics particularly as those rights pertain to academic freedom and shared governance. Today the AAUP is a nonprofit organization of faculty and academic professionals with over 500 chapters across the United States and its territories.

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, post‐doctoral 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.

The PA—AAUP Conference is a state-wide organization that works to advance AAUP policies and goals. Through a state conference, existing chapters are able to have more influence statewide and new chapters can find the support and guidance they need closer to home. The PA—AAUP Conference includes advocacy and collective-bargaining chapters whose members come from 55 institutions of higher education. We hold an annual conference, award scholarships each year to cover the basic costs of members attending for the AAUP Summer Institute, and oversee a “Strategic Initiatives Fund,” a new effort to support chapters in countering the threats to higher education. In addition, we consult with faculty on professional questions and work with chapters to build members and “best practices” in higher education.