The University of Alabama’s American Association of University Professors chapter held its induction ceremony last Monday, officially establishing the chapter.
AAUP is a nationwide union and membership association of college and university faculty and staff. AAUP aims to “advance academic freedom and shared governance” and to promote higher education’s contributions to the public good.
Sara McDaniel, a professor in the Department of Special Education and AAUP chapter president, said that Senate Bill 129 was one of the main reasons the chapter is necessary. SB 129 is an Alabama state law that prevents institutions of higher education from sponsoring diversity, equity and inclusion programs and prohibits the teaching of “divisive concepts.” Since even before its enactment, it has been the subject of extreme controversy.
According to the University’s SB 129 guidance page, the law “specifically protects each faculty member’s academic freedom to provide instruction in all academic settings.”
“My own work has been impacted, but we have seen the shuttering of DEI offices, we’ve seen faculty who have been admonished for even social media posts and teaching activities,” McDaniel said.
Candice Hale, a former adjunct instructor in the Department of Gender and Race Studies, filed a lawsuit on Oct. 16 in the U.S. District Court against University President Peter Mohler and other employees, claiming she was terminated following comments she made about Charlie Kirk after his death.
Amber Buck, treasurer of AAUP and an associate professor in the Department of English, said she felt there are “restrictions on faculty, speech and courses” at the University.
Buck said that one of AAUP’s goals is to create clear policies and procedures from the University in order for faculty and staff to feel best supported.
Luke Herrine, an assistant professor at the Alabama School of Law, said the University’s standards of academic freedom were “unclear.”
“Different departments deal with questions of academic freedom differently, and that’s totally inappropriate,” he said. “The University should be clear and explicit about its commitment to the principles of academic freedom and faculty co-governance.”
The University did not respond to a request for comment.
In the wake of SB 129’s enactment, the University created a guidance page explaining the effects of the law. The page states that the law “specifically protects each faculty member’s academic freedom to provide instruction in all academic settings.” Three UA faculty members disagreed, suing the UA System Board of Trustees for its implementation of the law.
John Petrovic, a professor in the Department of Education Leadership, Policy and Technology Studies, spoke at the ceremony on the importance of academic freedom.
“When we teach students to engage critically with social and political issues from diverse perspectives, from diverse sides and to think critically about these things and question them and perhaps even accept them in the end, it’s ironic when these kinds of teaching become ‘indoctrination,’” he said.
Petrovic also mentioned SB 129 in his speech, mentioning Gov. Kay Ivey’s statement on the bill at the time of its passage.
Ivey said that “a few bad actors on college campuses” were using “their liberal political movement counter to what the majority of Alabamians believe.”
“Nobody’s afraid of indoctrination of their own kind,” he said.
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