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Introduction American University is facing a historic budget crisis–at least 80 million will need to be cut over the next few years. Unfortunately, university leadership is approaching budget cutting with a ‘pain for thee, not for me’ approach. Over the last three years, AU’s Schools and Colleges have been asked to make serious cuts to… read more
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We call on the university to reject viewpoint discrimination, reaffirm its commitment to free expression, reverse the sanctions, and reinstate SJP as a student group. read more
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Open forums are an essential component of building community across our campus. Faculty, staff, students and university leaders can come together to share ideas, debate new plans/initiatives, discuss difficult topics, and develop shared understandings. To do this well, community forums must be inclusive and permit open exchange of opinions free from harassment or intimidation. We… read more
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Note: This statement was endorsed by the AU AAUP Chapter on Nov 21, 2025. We publish it here as an open letter and invite the American University community to sign; to do so, go here. On October 1st 2025, President Trump offered nine universities a “Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education.” Although seven universities… read more
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In recent months, American University has introduced a new Recognized Student Organization (RSO) Manual and Advisor Agreement that represents a significant shift in the relationship between students, faculty, and the institution, while chilling academic freedom for student clubs. read more
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Last week our provost, Vicky Wilkins, met with faculty about a proposed strategic planning “Big Bet” around curricular alterations, including changing the University’s Core Curriculum. We want to start by thanking her for holding this meeting. She heard an earful, to put it mildly. The pushback to the plan was strong, and at times heated. … read more
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As we begin a new academic year, we ask the American University administration to defend university’s commitment to free speech (for faculty, staff, and students), preserve its core mission of teaching and research in light of budgetary constraints, and strengthen the role of shared governance amid historic threats to higher education. read more
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Executive summary: Full response: American University’s Policy on Freedom of Expression and Expressive Conduct broadly affirms community members’ freedom to express matters of conscience with a narrow exception: Rights of free expression at American University and the broader community are not without limits and come with responsibilities. Expression that violates law or University policy, threatens… read more
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In fall 2024 AU AAUP was awarded a chapter mobilization grant from National AAUP to provide a comprehensive financial analysis of American University. This was performed by Dr. Howard Bunsis of Eastern Michigan University, who presented a final report to the AU faculty and community on April 4, 2025. Both the written report and zoom… read more
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