utaustinaaup.bsky.social
AAUP chapter @UT Austin
@utaustinaaup.bsky.social
1.8K followers 1.9K following 480 posts
We advocate for academic freedom at UT Austin, UT System, and Texas higher education. Member @aaup.bsky.social, @TexasAAUP.bsky.social. Affiliated with @TexasAFT.org, @texasaflcio.bsky.social. We do not speak for our employer. Follows❤️sRTs🚫endorsement.✊🏽🗣️
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utaustinaaup.bsky.social
AAUP chapter @UT Austin @utaustinaaup.bsky.social · 11d
✴️For the first time since 1945, UT does not have a representative faculty council.

Our press release on the replacement of an elected Faculty Council with faculty advisory bodies composed entirely of appointees of President Davis.

docs.google.com/document/d/1...
Press Release 9.27.2025.docx
PRESS RELEASE American Association of University Professors (AAUP) chapter at The University of Texas at Austin Contact: Pauline Strong, PhD, Chapter President, [email protected] _________________...
docs.google.com
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utaustinaaup.bsky.social
AAUP chapter @UT Austin @utaustinaaup.bsky.social · 1h
Another Faculty Senate offers wise advice.

Pres. Davis, you’ve abolished our Faculty Council, depriving yourself of the advice of faculty who would say, Just say no to the Compact! This is a road to disaster for a great University. We need autonomy, free speech & academic freedom to stay great!
timsteller.bsky.social
Tim Steller @timsteller.bsky.social · 18h
The University of Arizona's faculty senate has voted to ask the UA president to reject the Trump administration's proposed compact. It's among an accumulation of voices who say not to be tempted by the good things in the compact due to its more fundamental threats.
tucson.com/news/local/e...
U of A Faculty Senate opposes Trump compact; provost says no decision yet
The University of Arizona Faculty Senate approved a resolution calling on the UA to reject the White House’s compact requiring ideological, political and financial commitments in return for federal fu...
tucson.com
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utaustinaaup.bsky.social
AAUP chapter @UT Austin @utaustinaaup.bsky.social · 1h
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

“The carrots serve to lure institutions of higher learning into a dark alley where, rather than just waiting with a big stick, the government can put a gun to their heads at any time.”
US universities must reject Trump’s ‘compact’. It is full of traps | Jan-Werner Müller
The administration is trying to make nine universities an offer they seemingly cannot refuse
www.theguardian.com
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Reposted by AAUP chapter @UT Austin
weedenkim.bsky.social
Kim Weeden @weedenkim.bsky.social · 17h
Academic freedom means that a course that teaches students to critique settler colonialism can be taught alongside one that teaches students to maximize shareholder value.

Both are "biased" in their framing.

Only one is currently at risk of being cancelled by state and/or institutional actors.
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Reposted by AAUP chapter @UT Austin
dearsarah.bsky.social
Sarah Szalavitz💡 @dearsarah.bsky.social · 5d
Trump’s ‘Compact’ With Universities Is Just Extortion says the dean of UC Berkeley’s law school
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/02/o... USC better not sign on to this nonsense.
Opinion | Trump’s ‘Compact’ With Universities Is Just Extortion
www.nytimes.com
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Reposted by AAUP chapter @UT Austin
jackiegardina.bsky.social
Jackie Gardina @jackiegardina.bsky.social · 15h
You can watch the full webinar on the intersection of academic freedom and board independence. 2/

youtu.be/owQIhVhX8mw?...
The Integral Relationship Between Board Independence and Academic Freedom | Webinar on Demand
YouTube video by AGB
youtu.be
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Reposted by AAUP chapter @UT Austin
collegeopp.bsky.social
collegeopp.bsky.social @collegeopp.bsky.social · 15h
🚨 California’s colleges are not for sale.

As California Governor Newsom said, "California will not bankroll schools that sell out their students, professors, researchers, and surrender academic freedom."

Read a statement from President Jessie Ryan: buff.ly/JQdFXLG
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Reposted by AAUP chapter @UT Austin
donnamckee.bsky.social
Donna @donnamckee.bsky.social · 14h
🚨📢 Academic freedom under attack at the University of Pennsylvania and eight other Universities: share.inquirer.com/CvSiRL?utm_s...
Wharton advisory board chair Marc Rowan had a hand in crafting ideas used in Trump’s university compact, report says
Marc Rowan and his allies were instrumental in developing ideas for the compact that President Donald Trump’s administration asked nine colleges including Penn to sign, according to the New York Times
share.inquirer.com
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Reposted by AAUP chapter @UT Austin
d-macphee.bsky.social
Daniel MacPhee 🇨🇦 @d-macphee.bsky.social · 1h
“Academic freedom exists for precisely this reason: to protect the right to challenge orthodoxies, unsettle consensus, and advance difficult conversations. It is not a privilege reserved for those whose speech offends no one.”
#Canada #UAlberta #Alberta #cdnpoli
edmontonjournal.com/opinion/colu...
Opinion: U of A's response to Charlie Kirk comments erodes academic freedom
This case cannot be separated from the broader landscape of academic freedom currently under strain in Canada and beyond.
edmontonjournal.com
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Reposted by AAUP chapter @UT Austin
utaustinaaup.bsky.social
AAUP chapter @UT Austin @utaustinaaup.bsky.social · 2d
The Billionaire Behind Trump’s Deal for Universities

“A come to Jesus moment”

www.nytimes.com/2025/10/03/u...
The Billionaire Behind Trump’s Deal for Universities
www.nytimes.com
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Reposted by AAUP chapter @UT Austin
jackiegardina.bsky.social
Jackie Gardina @jackiegardina.bsky.social · 15h
@joshpasek.com, @umich.edu, provides boards of trustees a roadmap for responding to external pressue, like the so-called Educational Compact.

@aaup.org @utaustinaaup.bsky.social @aaup-penn.bsky.social

riverside.fm/shared/expor...
One thing boards can d... | Oct 7, 2025 001 - Riverside - HD Podcast & Video Software
riverside.fm
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Reposted by AAUP chapter @UT Austin
utaustinaaup.bsky.social
AAUP chapter @UT Austin @utaustinaaup.bsky.social · 1d
“Any university leader who signs on to this compact would betray everything good and solid about the university and would do deep and permanent harm to the United States and the world.”https://newrepublic.com/article/201376/trump-compact-academic-excellence-university-virginia via @newrepublic.com
Why This Essay Could Cause the University of Virginia to Shut Down
How Linda McMahon’s latest “compact” would do deep and permanent harm to American higher education
newrepublic.com
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utaustinaaup.bsky.social
AAUP chapter @UT Austin @utaustinaaup.bsky.social · 1h
Trump’s H-1B Visa Fee Could Strain Universities and Schools

“It’s not patriotic,” Dr. Botstein said. “It harms the economy and has nothing to do with excellence.”

www.nytimes.com/2025/10/08/u...
Trump’s H-1B Visa Fee Could Strain Universities and Schools
www.nytimes.com
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Reposted by AAUP chapter @UT Austin
utaustinaaup.bsky.social
AAUP chapter @UT Austin @utaustinaaup.bsky.social · 1d
A teach-in this Friday!
Learn about Trump’s proposed “compact” with UT and what we can do about it. 4 PM on Friday 10/2025. University Methodist, 2409 Guadalupe.
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utaustinaaup.bsky.social
AAUP chapter @UT Austin @utaustinaaup.bsky.social · 1d
facultysenate.virginia.edu/resolution-o...
Resolution Opposing the "Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education" | Faculty Senate, U.Va.
facultysenate.virginia.edu
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utaustinaaup.bsky.social
AAUP chapter @UT Austin @utaustinaaup.bsky.social · 1d
“Any university leader who signs on to this compact would betray everything good and solid about the university and would do deep and permanent harm to the United States and the world.”https://newrepublic.com/article/201376/trump-compact-academic-excellence-university-virginia via @newrepublic.com
Why This Essay Could Cause the University of Virginia to Shut Down
How Linda McMahon’s latest “compact” would do deep and permanent harm to American higher education
newrepublic.com
17 46
Reposted by AAUP chapter @UT Austin
jackiegardina.bsky.social
Jackie Gardina @jackiegardina.bsky.social · 1d
Academic freedom is not just about the rights of professors and universities. Higher education and society at large both depend on it. - Professor David Rabban 1/2

@aaup.org @utaustinaaup.bsky.social @aaup-penn.bsky.social @texasaaup.bsky.social

riverside.fm/shared/expor...
The Foundation of Acad... | Oct 6, 2025 001 - Riverside - HD Podcast & Video Software
riverside.fm
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utaustinaaup.bsky.social
AAUP chapter @UT Austin @utaustinaaup.bsky.social · 1d
A teach-in this Friday!
Learn about Trump’s proposed “compact” with UT and what we can do about it. 4 PM on Friday 10/2025. University Methodist, 2409 Guadalupe.
2 5
Reposted by AAUP chapter @UT Austin
biblioracle.bsky.social
John Warner @biblioracle.bsky.social · 2d
The said truth about what's happening at Clemson and elsewhere is that as correct as these appeals to academic freedom and free speech are, the fact is that university boards, leadership and state level politicians do just want to shut faculty (and students) up. www.chronicle.com/article/who-...
Opinion | Who Will Clemson Censor Next?
We no longer know what speech will be tolerated or punished. The result: self-censoring and silence.
www.chronicle.com
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utaustinaaup.bsky.social
AAUP chapter @UT Austin @utaustinaaup.bsky.social · 2d
The Billionaire Behind Trump’s Deal for Universities

“A come to Jesus moment”

www.nytimes.com/2025/10/03/u...
The Billionaire Behind Trump’s Deal for Universities
www.nytimes.com
3 3
Reposted by AAUP chapter @UT Austin
jackiegardina.bsky.social
Jackie Gardina @jackiegardina.bsky.social · 4d
The webinar is now available. Watch @joshpasek.com, @umich.edu, and David Rabban, @utaustin.bsky.social, discuss political pressure, academic freedom, and the boards responsibility to resist the former to protect the latter. @aaup.org @utaustinaaup.bsky.social

agb.org/events/webin...
The Integral Relationship Between Board Independence and Academic Freedom
Watch this Webinar on Demand to explore the foundational role of board independence in preserving academic freedom and the pursuit of knowledge.
agb.org
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utaustinaaup.bsky.social
AAUP chapter @UT Austin @utaustinaaup.bsky.social · 2d
texasedequity.blogspot.com/2025/10/the-...
The Danger of a Mephistopheles Bargain: Why the “Compact for Excellence” Is a Threat to Democracy and the University, by Angela Valenzuela, Ph.D.
texasedequity.blogspot.com
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Reposted by AAUP chapter @UT Austin
brendannyhan.bsky.social
Brendan Nyhan @brendannyhan.bsky.social · 6d
Trump's higher ed ransom note is here - everyone would have to acquiesce to their unprecedented demands or not be "given priority for grants," plus they can demand "reimbursement" for "violations" www.wsj.com/us-news/educ...

A mechanism to enforce fealty. An attack on academic freedom and democracy
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Reposted by AAUP chapter @UT Austin
pamelaneumann.bsky.social
Pamela Neumann @pamelaneumann.bsky.social · 5d
www.texastribune.org/2025/10/02/u... shameful that this was not immediately rejected. I’m disgusted with my grad school Alma mater leadership.
UT-Austin considering offer to adopt Trump priorities for funding advantages
The funding deal would reportedly ask the university to adopt a stricter definition of gender and a tuition freeze, among other conditions.
www.texastribune.org
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Reposted by AAUP chapter @UT Austin
matthewboedy.bsky.social
Matthew Boedy @matthewboedy.bsky.social · 5d
Still time to register for Monday's @aaup.org webinar on the state-backed threat to independent higher education accreditation www.aaup.org/event/politi...
Politicizing Accreditation in the South and Beyond
This webinar will explore the historic importance of independent accreditation systems for maintaining professional norms and standards for public higher education and examine the threats a politicize...
www.aaup.org
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Reposted by AAUP chapter @UT Austin
aft.org
AFT @aft.org · 5d
"The federal government should not, under any circumstances, dictate who goes to college, what can be researched, or learned, and what can or can’t be the subject of critical academic inquiry." - AFT President @rweingarten.bsky.social & @aaup.org President @proftwolf.bsky.social
AAUP’s Wolfson and AFT’s Weingarten on Trump’s Loyalty Pledge for Colleges and Universities
WASHINGTON—AAUP President Todd Wolfson and AFT President Randi Weingarten issued the following statement slamming the Trump administration’s ideological litmus test for higher education. The two affil...
www.aft.org
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