AAUP Chapters across the country routinely support their campuses by offering workshops, seminars, meetings, literature, etc. to interested groups. Although it will carry out member-driven programming as well, if you would like to request a workshop, seminar, or meeting, please fill out the survey at the link below so that we can help to meet your needs. Even if your workshop request is only to answer your own questions about governance in a private meeting with AAUP members or officers, we are happy to accommodate your area of interest. Alternatively, we can offer workshops to specific departments, schools/college, programs, unofficial faculty groups, councils, or events that are open to the campus. If we are not equipped to address the issue you have requested, we will do our best to find external guest speakers for assistance.

The AAUP is a national organization with over 45000 members. It is dedicated to advocating for faculty and best practices in higher education, especially on the matters of academic freedom, due process, and faculty governance. For more information see www.aaup.org.

It is important to note that hosts of such workshops and meetings are not relying on their own expertise or individual judgments about the matters to be addressed. Rather, they are drawing from the vast number of reports, policy statements, best practices guidelines, and academic publications produced by the AAUP as a national academic association with 101 years of experience in the field, as well as consultations with national AAUP and governance leaders from the UM-Flint, Ann Arbor, and Dearborn campuses. Such representatives will help identify which codes/policies are relevant to UM-Flint, and which other internal or external resources are applicable. Workshop hosts or members/officers available to meet will be able to point you and your colleagues to the expansive resources available to address issues and questions in higher education through the AAUP.

SURVEY LINK: https://umflint.qualtrics.com/jfe5/preview/SV_8kagYL0mLjwlB0V
Examples of workshop/seminar/meeting topics are wide ranging, but could include things like the following:
i) Best practices in taking minutes or setting agendas
ii) Best practices in electoral procedures
iii) Ethics in governance
iv) The corporate model as it relates to non-profit higher education
v) How to develop bylaws for your unit (best practices for departments, schools, colleges)
vi) Understanding issues of privilege in student evaluations of faculty
vii) How to incorporate part-time faculty and staff in appropriate ways into your department, school, or college’s governance
viii) What is the plenary authority (authority to set and implement policy) of departments, committees, schools, a campus?
ix) How to create supportive climates for women and minority faculty
x) Best practices in departmental search processes
xi) How to create standing committees and other workgroups for your department/program/school/college
xii) Best practices in Executive Committee function
xiii) How should I (say a Dean or Chair) involve my faculty in budgetary decisions?
xiv) Orientation for how to participate in governance for new LEO or tenure-track faculty in your department, school, or college
xv) What are the rights of students regarding governance and academic freedom?
xvi) What does the AAUP do, and how can I get involved?
xvii) How does governance differ for faculty in graduate programs?

ETC…

Note: Faculty who need assistance with a grievance/complaint situation, or who would like to request help with mediation through a matter of faculty concern, are welcome to contact any one of the grievance officers (on the contacts page).